Brothers and Sisters: The 5th Quarter Quell
by Insane Chocolate Porcupine
Summary: "On the 125th anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that the Capitol can even make brother turn against brother, Only children with siblings will be reaped and, regardless of gender or age, the next-youngest sibling or the next oldest sibling will be reaped along with their sibling. Both sibling will win, if alive. There will be no volunteers. That is all." **CLOSED**
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello! This is a SYOT. Please look on my profile page to find the tribute form. I will ONLY accept tributes if you PM them. Thanks! Oh, and please, please, PLEASE make your tributes interesting. I don't care if they're crazy, if their back-story is interesting, if they're blind, if they're amazingly spoiled. JUST MAKE THEM INTERESTING.**

**You can also reserve districts, but you only get the reservation for 48 hours. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I, Hungergameslover10210, do not own the Hunger Games trilogy.**

As the stylists prepped her, President Alma Coin Jr looked out the window to her left. She saw bubblegum pink leaves on a soft wood trunk scientists had named Mollis. On the tree, staring right back into the window, was a Mockingjay. It seemed to mock her, as Mockingjays were the enemy of the Capitol.

Alma's mother had told her about the 'Rebellion' Against the Capitol. Alma Sr laughed as she told her daughter the clever plan she had devised to gain control over the entire country. She had never _really_ planned to get rid of the Hunger Games. The woman had actually planned to kill all of the ones that were blindly helping her, such as Finnick Odair, Johanna Mason, Peeta Mellark, and Katniss Everdeen. Especially Everdeen. She had never liked the girl, as she was much too rebellious. The last straw was when the girl purposely nearly killed her with that arrow. Snow had died laughing, Katniss was executed with the same arrow that had almost killed Coin, and so the Hunger Games went on.

The stylists had finished dressing the president, so she thanked them in a bored tone and walked out on to the stage, quickly changing her facial expression. The Capitol crowd roared. One neon-blue woman even tried to jump onto the stage, put was restrained by peacekeepers.

The President settled them all down and cleared her throat. She then talked about the Dark Days from which the Hunger Games were formed. When the laws for the Games were laid out, it was decided that every twenty-five years there would be a Quarter Quell. It would call for a glorified version of the Games to make fresh memory the memory of those killed by the districts' rebellion.

"On the twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice, every district was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who would represent it."

"On the fiftieth anniversary, as a reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes"

"On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes were reaped from the remaining pool of victors."

"On the hundredth Hunger Games, as a reminder to the districts that no single district has any more power than another, tributes were reaped as infants and raised and trained with the intention of being placed in the Hunger Games, to ensure that they all start on even footing in the arena."

"Now we honor the hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary," said President Coin. A small girl, no more than five years old rushed forward and held out a beautiful carved wooden box to the president. The president opened the box and took from it a envelope marked '125'. She slit it open and skimmed the creamy paper that the envelope had contained.

"On the hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that the Capitol can even make brother turn against brother, Only children with siblings will be reaped, and, regardless of gender or age, the next-youngest sibling or the next oldest sibling will be reaped along with their sibling. Both siblings will win, if alive. There will be no volunteers. That is all." The president walked off stage.

**A/N: Please submit!**


	2. Reapings D1-D4

**A/N: So... The reapings! *Sigh* We're a third through these. They take a while to write, they're annoying , and THEY ARE AWESOME. R & R!  
**

**Reapings D1-D4**

**District 1: Aphrodite Oner**

_Whoosh!_ The spear hit the target with a thud. Bullseye. Aphrodite Oner had put nearly zero effort into throwing that spear, but the weapon had still managed to hit the target perfectly. _Like me,_ the Career thought. _I'm perfect._

"Perfect shot, Dite!" One of Aphrodite's best friends/minions, Destiny, said joyfully. "I know," Aphrodite said in a bored tone. "Amber! Sandwich." Aphrodite snapped her fingers and called over another friend/minion. "Of course, Dite!" Amber replied eagerly. The red-haired girl rushed to the training center cafeteria to fetch a sandwich. When she returned, she handed the sandwich to Aphrodite. The blonde looked at Amber angrily. "Tuna? How DARE you? I deserve MUCH better. Go fetch me a BUFFALO MOZZARELLA sandwich. ON FOCACCIA. DON'T make any more mistakes!" _How dare she treat the best career in district one this way?!_ Aphrodite thought furiously.

After Amber returned and gave her the CORRECT type of sandwich, Aphrodite started to leave. "And WHERE do you think YOU'RE going, Aphrodite Oner?" It was one of the Trainers, Ares St. Wagner. Ares was one of the meanest, coldest, violent trainers in District One. But not as cold and violent as Aphrodite. "I'm going HOME, bitch," Aphrodite said, pushing through the trainer. The dark-haired man stayed resolute.

"Get out of my way right NOW, you ass!"

"No. Go train."

"I will never be able to be IN the games if you don't let me go to the reaping!" Aphrodite spat angrily.

"Go." Ares grabbed one of Aphrodite's wrists and lead her back to the spear throwing station.

Aphrodite picked up a spear and, turning around quickly before Ares could comprehend what was happening, stabbed the spear into Ares' hand. It wasn't a deep wound, but it was deep enough to make Ares cry out. He bit his lip "You'll do great in the Hunger Games. Go home. NOW," Ares commanded. "How dare you address me in such a way?" Aphrodite demanded. Nonetheless, she took off running and didn't stop until she was home.

When Aphrodite reached her large home, the first thing she did was call for her little brother. "Vic! Vic, I'm home!" Vic was Aphrodite's little brother. He was twelve years old, but he did not look it. He looked more like he was nine or ten. Vic was very tiny, not even tipping the scale at ninety eight pounds.

At two years old Vic was diagnosed with leukemia After that, Vic's parents, ashamed to have such a sickly son, told the district he had died. The only people that knew were his family, his girlfriend Velore, a few prestigious Capitol doctors and, of course, President Coin.

The green-eyed boy walked downstairs slowly, as he was tired that day. Aphrodite noticed a slight rash on her brother's arm. "How're you doing, buddy?" Aphrodite said softly. "I'm okay. Tired, though," Vic answered equally softly. The children sat on a soft couch. Although District one was one of the richer districts, the Oners were exceptional. Silvia and Maximilian Oner owned the top jewelery industry in Panem. Although this made them extremly well off, they never had time for their children. When Aphrodite was five years old, her parents sent her to the training academy, where there was hardly any love. Over time, Aphrodite's sweet, kind heart grew cold, and eventually, she hardly cared about anybody. Except for Vic.

Vic was Aphrodite's favorite person in the world. She would protect him through anything. When the toddler was diagnosed with cancer, Aphrodite was the one who cried the most. She _cared_, but Vic's parents were ashamed. They never let Vic outside, and every year, when they HAD to attend the reaping, they disguised Vic so that no one would know that the Oners had such a sickly boy.

Aphrodite and Vic talked for a few minutes, telling each other about their day. "Okay, Vic. We should really go get ready for the reaping now," Aphrodite said. "Okay," Vic sighed, standing up slowly. "I'm taking a shower in my bathroom. I'll help you get ready when I'm done." So Aphrodite went to her luxurious bathroom to bathe. After this, she brushed her silky, wavy blonde hair until it nearly shined. She dressed in a sparkling knee-length white dress and white high heels. Afterwards, she went downstairs to help Vic.

"I _really_ don't want to wear this disguise. It itches!" Vic told his sister. "I know, but mom and dad want you to. If it was up to me, you could wear anything as long as it was clean. The problem is, it's not." Aphrodite answered. "I wish it was," The shaggy haired boy muttered before dressing.

When Vic was disguised and everyone was generally ready, Aphrodite got a call from her phone. She flipped the old-fashioned device open and held it to her ear. "What do you want, mom? Why, you can't come home for one minute, bitch? Whatever," Aphrodite hung up the phone with disgust. "Mom and dad are already at the square. Let's go, buddy. I also wanna go tell Carter that he's going to walk to the reaping with us," Aphrodite informed her brother.

Vic and Aphrodite walked to Aphrodite's boyfriend's house together, talking as they went. When they got there, Aphrodite slammed on the door. "Carter, get out here and walk to the reaping with us!" Yelled Aphrodite. The girl waited for a moment. "CARTER! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE NOW!" The boy appeared suddenly in the door. "What the hell took you so long?!" Aphrodite half asked, half yelled. Carter pulled her into a kiss. Aphrodite responded by slapping his cheek. Hard. "What was that for?" Asked Carter angrily. "For making me wait and then kissing me to make up for it, ass!" Carter rolled his eyes. He was used to his girlfriend's rude ways. "Follow me!" Aphrodite screeched. Vic and Carter obediently followed.

Aphrodite didn't really love Carter. It was more of a platonic love, because Carter was the most popular guy in District one and Aphrodite the most popular girl. Dumping the loser would be social suicide.

The small group walked to the square. Vic and Aphrodite got their blood taken, Aphrodite putting up a fuss and slapping a Peacekeeper, Vic calmly taking the pain. Afterwards, the siblings split up so that Aphrodite could walk to the seventeen-year-old girl section and Vic to the twelve year old boy section.

The escort, Athena Alycson did not look as intelligent as the Greek goddess she was named for. She had a mask of makeup and a tall magenta striped purple beehive wig. The mayor played the video and made his speech, as usual. Aphrodite picked a fight with another seventeen year old and knocked the poor girl out, as usual. Afterwards, Athena came up to the microphone, as usual. "Ladies first!" The escort screeched. She dug in the bowl for at least two full minutes. "Hurry the hell up!" Shouted Aphrodite.

"Aphrodite Oner!" Everyone began talking at once about the cold-hearted rich girl who was about to enter the arena.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. This was such a waste of time! She put her hands on her hips and began blowing kisses to the district as she mounted the stage. _Wait, VIC!_ Thought Aphrodite.

She had just realized that her sickly brother would now have to enter the arena.

**District 1: Vic Oner**

_Oh, great. Just great._ Vic thought. His sister had just been reaped. _Really cool. Send a twelve year old with cancer into a deadly arena._ _Oh, no._ Vic felt himself begin to cough. _No, I don't wanna die!_ He coughed harder. He was feeling woozy...

Then everything went black.

The next thing Vic knew, Carter was gently carrying him onto the stage. _What going o- Wait- I WAS REAPED! No, no, no! I don't wanna die!_ Carter set Vic down. Aphrodite smiled at her brother sadly but quickly returned the smile to a sadistic one. _That's Aphrodite, _Vic thought. "Okay, Vic, Aphrodite- Hey, I have a greek goddess's name, too!" Athena said excitedly. "No kidding! I had no idea!" Aphrodite said sarcastically, glaring at the escort. "Okay... District one, I present to you your tributes! Aphrodite and Victor-" _"Vic!_" Vic hissed. "-and-Vic Oner!"

* * *

**District 2: Tye Brook**

As Tye Brook studied the edible plants book, he heard his little sister's small feet padding over to him. "Hey, Rosie," Tye smiled. "Tye, can you help me throw my knives, please?" The five-year-old asked.

"Sure," Tye answered. He followed his sister, who was running over to the knife-throwing station. The five year old picked up a large knife. "Hey, that's too big for you, Rose," Tye smirked. The knife was almost as long as Rose's arm and the small girl was having trouble holding it up. "But I'm big!" Pouted Rose. "Even big girls need little knives." "Okaaaaayy." The girl complied.

Tye picked out a smaller knife, one meant for a girl of his sister's size. He placed the knife in her hand. Rose tightened her hand. "No, Rose. You have to turn the knife, like this," Tye showed his brown-haired sister just how to hold the knife and positioned her small hand around the weapon correctly. Rose looked at the target determinedly and threw the weapon. It landed a few feet in front of her. "You know what? I'll call over a trainer and they'll show you how to do this," Tye told his sister. He motioned to a trainer and went back to studying the plants.

Tye looked over at the knife-throwing station a few minutes later and saw that Rose had improved greatly. The small girl had gotten much better, getting closer to the center of the target each time. After a bit of watching, Tye looked at his watch. 1:00.

Tye walked over to the knife-throwing station "Hey, Rose? We've gotta go," Tye told his baby sister. "No! I wanna keep throwing knives!" Rose said stubbornly. "C'mon!" Tye picked the girl up and held her upside-down and began tickling her feet Rose giggled. "Race you, Rose!" Tye began running towards the exit and heard Rose giggling behind him. He jogged slowly to let Rose win. The five-year-old sped past her brother and crashed against the door. "I win!" Laughed Rose. Tye just smiled.

The siblings went home and began preparing for the reaping. Rose put on a rose-colored dress and a small ring with a dried katniss flower onto her finger. Rose knew that the ring had belonged to her mother. Rose had never known her mother, as she had died in a freak accident along with Rose's father when Rose was only a few months old. If the girl had been older she would probably have felt sadness sweep over her, but as it was, the girl only ran to show her brother how well she had dressed herself.

Tye dressed in a simple red collared dress shirt and tan shorts. Just before Tye and Rose stepped out of the door, Rose asked a question "Can Sirenia come with us?" Sirenia was Rose's best friend. The two had met in kindergarten when neither of them had anyone to play with. "I'll ask her mom," promised Tye. They went to Sirenia's house, but they had already left. "They're not there," Tye told his sister. "Awwwww," a disappointed Rose moaned. Tye carried Rose the rest of the way. "Rose," Tye began, kneeling down on one knee next to his sister. "We're going to go stand in that line," Tye pointed. "And that lady is going to give you a little shot, okay?" "No! He wouldn't shoot me! Peacekeepers keep the peace!" Said Rose. Tye rolled his eyes. "Like when you go to the doctor's?" He tried. "Okay! Will I get a cat Band-Aid?" "I have _no_ idea, Rosie."

They stood in line and the peacekeeper glared at Tye, as he was known as a rebellious, Katniss Everdeen-like child who thought that the president should die for the Capitol's sins. Tye got his blood taken, wincing slightly but otherwise visually fine. Then it was Rose's turn.

The small green-eyed girl had to stand on tip-toe to get her arm on the table. She eagerly placed her hand near the needle. The peacekeeper smiled down at her. Rose visited the Peacekeeping headquarters and many Peacekeepers knew her well. The Peacekeeper gently held the girl's wrist and inserted the needle in her arm. Rose's excited expression quickly changed to a hurt one. She began to cry. "Owwwwwww! Tye! Tye!" Cried Rose. The peacekeeper put a beige bandage on the girl.

Rose ran into her brother's comforting arms. Tye hugged her and lead her to where siblings that are not of age but, because of the Quell, could still enter the games stood. "You stand here until I come get you, okay?" "Okay, Tye. Where are you going?" Asked Rose curiously. "I'm going to go stand over there," Tye pointed. "and people are going to say a bunch of boring things and then call two names so that people can be in the Hunger Games. "Can I play?" Rose asked excitedly. "Maybe. I don't know." _I hope not, _Tye thought. Although Tye was a Career, he did _not_ want his baby sister going into the games. He had lost too many people he had loved for it to happen again.

Mom and Dad.

Lylia, his girlfriend, when her house burnt down.

He couldn't lose Rose.

**District 2: Rose Brook**

Rose's brother, Tye, had just walked away, leaving her with a bunch of strangers. In kindergarten they taught her that she shouldn't talk to strangers.

Then Rose spotter her friend, Sirenia, her green eyes sparkling. "Sirenia!" Rose called to her best friend. "Rosie?" Answered Sirenia. Rose ran over to the redhead. "Is Selinia here?" Selinia was Sirenia's twelve-year-old sister. "Yeah! She's standing over-" Sirenia scanned the crowd "There!" She finally pointed. Selinia's red hair was very visible among all the brunettes and blondes.

A movie started playing on the big stage. "Oooohhhhh!" Sirenia, a movie! Do you have popcorn?" Rose asked. "No, let's watch!" After awhile, however, the girls found the movie very boring and began chatting about other things. When the boring movie was over, a man (who Rose thought might be in charge) made a very dull speech.

After _this,_ a woman with a large mole on her nose and a purple Afro stood up. "Hello," the woman said quietly. The district could barely hear her. "Let's choose tributes for the hundred and twenty-fifth Hunger Games." Rose was getting excited now. "Sirenia, she's going to say who gets to play a game!" "Yay!" Sirenia answered gleefully.

The woman with purple hair walked over the a big glass bowl filled with paper. She fished around for a moment and then pulled out a name. "Tye Brook?" purple-hair said. Rose and Sirenia jumped up and down. "Tye's gonna play a gaaaamme! Tye's gonna play a gaaaamme!" They sang.

**District 2: Tye Brook**

Tye turned pale as his name was announced. Maybe it was announced quietly, but it was announced.

The boy put on a sadistic smile and laughed maniacally. This was for impression, of course. Millions of thought flew through his head. _What am I going to do? I'll get out alive, but if I don't? what about Rose? Wait- Rose- NO!_ Tye was at the stage now. The escort was asking him who his sibling was. Tye tried to answer, he honestly did, but nothing came out. Rose ran up the stage laughing gleefully. _She thinks we're going to play a game,_ Tye realized sadly.

"District Two, Tye and Rose Brook!"

* * *

**District 3: Silmarien Andunie  
**

Silmarien Andunie quietly opened the door of some random person in the poorer part of District 3. She knew that nobody was home, as she had made sure of that. Silmarien had hidden in the bushes until the family of three had left.

Silmarien took off her brown boots and slipped inside the house wearing socks, which would be much less noisy than her loud boots. First the curly-haired girl raided the fridge, tossing the meager amount of food into a large brown bag. She then looked around the room and spotted what looked like a ruby necklace with a note attached, sitting on the dining table. The note read 'Sell after the reaping'. Silmarien's lips curled into a smile as she moved swiftly to the table and threw the expensive jewelery into the bag.

Just then, the girl heard the doorknob turning. She looked around and saw the backdoor. "Why are there _boots_ in front of our door?" She heard an older woman's voice ask. Her eyes widened and she hurried toward the door. Without even trying to be silent she fumbled with the doorknob. _Shit,_ she thought._ It's locked!_ The front door creaked open. _ Oh, goddammit!_ Silmarien thought angrily. "Who are you?" The older woman that she had heard moments before shrieked.

"I'm the, um, new maid!" Silmarien knew it wouldn't work, but it was worth a try. "You're that thief girl! I'm gonna turn you in! Tell me your name!" The woman shouted, grabbing the teenager's wrist. "I'm-PRESIDENT THEO! SEEYA, LOSERS!" With that, Silmarien bolted out of the open door. She ran to her own house and emptied the bag once she was safe in her room. She didn't actually _need_ the things she stole, as her family was actually quite well off. It was just fun to make people suffer, in her opinion. She took a hammer out of her bureau and smashed the ruby necklace into tiny pieces.

She then rode her bike back to the house and threw the food she had stolen in the mud. She looked at her watch and realized that it was 1:54. _Shit, the reaping, s_he thought. She rode her bike to the town square and got off. She pushed her bike into a thin man who yelped in pain. She didn't look back to see what injuries she may have caused.

She got her blood taken from a peacekeeper who glared at her for being late, then she proceeded to stand in the fourteen year old girls' section. She was just in time to hear the Mayor's boring speech and watch the mind numbing video from the Capitol they made the districts watch every year.

After this, the escort, Clio Celeste, got up from her chair, her tall navy blue wig covered in silver stars wobbling as she went.

"Hellllooooooo District Thrreeeeeeeeee!" Clio squeaked over the microphone. "Let us choose our luckyyyyy trrrrrributes for this yearrrr'ssss Quarterrrrrr Quell! She walked over to the reaping bowl that contained the names of every child in the district with a sibling of age. "Silmarien Andunie!" _Crap. I'm in the Hunger Games. Ah well, at least I can make the others suffer and now Aldarion has to go in too. THAT, at least is a good thing,_ Silmarien thought, stepping on people's toes and shoving others as she made her way up the stage. "Whooooo is your siblingggggg, deeeeaaarrr?" Clio asked. Silmarien glared at the escort, not because she was a Capitolite or because she reaped her name, but because she naturally hated all humanity for no reason. "Finnick Odair," the girl answered sarcastically. A peacekeeper whispered the actual name in Clio's ear. "Alrighty! Aldarion Andunie!"

**District 3: Aldarion Andunie  
**

"Thanks man," Aldarion Andunie told his best friend Calion. Aldarion opened the brown package Calion had given him and took out a syringe. He pulled up his sleeve and injected the drug into his arm. Aldarion immediately began to feel much too happy to be natural. He giggled happily. "Hey, Al-man, we better get over to the town square. Da reaping is soon," Calion said, laughing after he finished his sentence. "Oh, sheeoot, man! Is that taday? I didn't even take a showa yet, Cal!" It was true. The tall brown-haired boy stunk like he had swam in a trashcan. "Wella, Fella, there's no time for a that now!" Calion giggled. "Hey, Aldarion? Al-man?" Aldarion snored, he had fallen asleep. "ALLLL-MAAANNNN! GEDDUUUPPPPPP!" Aldarion woke with a start. "Whaddaheck!?" "You fella sleep again man!" Raceya to the reaping!"

The now-high teenagers raced each other like children to the town square. Calion didn't have to get his blood taken, but Aldarion did. Aldarion was nineteen years old, but his sister was fourteen and eligible to be reaped. The twist for the Quarter Quell this year meant that Aldarion could still be in the Hunger Games. These bad thoughts made Aldarion slightly less happy. _Well, it wouldn't be that bad. I'da get outta that big bad arena _"FOR NOTHING CAN STOP ALDARION ANDUNIE!" Aldarion finished his though out loud.

"Oh, did I say that outta loud?" He asked the female peacekeeper taking his blood. Then he realized that they were taking his blood. Even in his drugged state he could put two and two together. That meant... "Kid, you do Pharmaka?" The peacekeeper asked the dreaded question. "Uhhhhh... the drug?" "Uhhhh..." "I hope you get reaped, kid," the woman said bitterly. "OH YEAH! I RULLLLEEEE!" The boy shouted, running over to the section tied off for siblings of children who were eligible to be reaped.

The escort, by this time, was already picking a tribute's name. "Silmarien Andunie!" _Oh my god. Really? Crap... _Aldarion thought. The escort asked Silmarien who her sibling was, but, true to her bratty personality, Silmarien just glared. _What a little brat!_ Aldarion thought angrily. The drug was starting to make him angry. "Alrighty! Aldarion Andunie!" Clio Celeste said through the mic. _Shit._ Aldarion staggered onto the stage and stood next to his sister. "Shaaaake hands, you twooooo!" Clio told them. "Hiya, Marien," muttered Aldarion sleepily. "Don't call me that, druggie." Silmarien answered bitterly. _Brat._ The thought had crossed Aldarion's mind countless times before. Aldarion reach out reluctantly to shake his sister's hand, but she pulled away. "Okaaaayyy, then. District threeeeeee, I prrrrrrrreeeeeessssent you your tribbbbbuuuutttttessss for theeeeeeee 125th Hunger Gammmeeeessss!"

* * *

**District 4: Kai Maris **

The sword slashed through the twenty training dummies in record time. Kai Maris wiped the sweat from his forehead, hoping that he'd never have to do that to an actual human. Kai moved on to trident throwing. All three tridents hit the bulls eye. At the same time. After this, Kai ate lunch and started home to get ready for the reaping. Unlike most kids in District Four, Kai Maris did not want to be reaped.

Kai showered and dressed in a soft navy blue cotton shirt. He also wore tan khakis which had belonged to Kai's father when he was still alive. The shorts were a bit big, so the dark-haired boy wore a black belt to keep them up. He looked in the mirror and saw one green eye and one blue gazing back at him nervously. He went downstairs to meet his mother and sister, Genevieve. He smelled a delicious salmon fillet cooking in honey and smiled. His mother was always cooking something. "Kai, sweetie, are you ready?" His mother asked. "Yeah, mom. Hey, is the salmon done?" His mother nodded. "Would you like to taste some?" "Of course!" Kai said dramatically. "How could one NOT want to taste your DELICIOUS cooking!?" His mother giggled, as did Genevieve. "Kai, how do I look?" Genevieve asked. "You look nice, Eve," Kai answered kindly.

"Why don't you go walk to the reaping with Victoria and Wade? Genevieve and I will meet you afterward," Kai's mother said. "'K, mom. Bye," "I don't want you to go, Kai!" Genevieve wailed. "Gen, I'll meet you in a little bit," Kai told her. "No!" "Kai will see us when it is three, dear," Kai mother told the fourteen year old gently. Kai slipped out the door quietly, feeling a bit sad.

When Genevieve was born she was a normal, happy baby. However, when she turned two, the girl was diagnosed with Autism. On the scale, her autism was high. People often made fun of her for this, and she was very confused and scared when they did so. That was when she met her best friend, Marina.

They were at school, and some mean kid were making fun of the confused girl. Marina got very angry, and suddenly couldn't stand what they were doing to the poor girl. That was when she told the kids off. From there on in, Marina and Genevieve were best friends.

Kai went next door to where one of his friends, Victoria lived. His fist was just about to knock when Victoria opened the door, almost making Kai punch his friend since childhood in the face. Both of the eighteen year old's widened their eyes, and then burst into laughter. "Let us go get Wade, shall we, Queen Victoria the hundredth?" Kai joked. Victoria smiled. "We shall." Kai and Victoria linked arms and walked across the street.

Kai easily made friends wherever he went, but Victoria and Wade were the only friends he _truly_ trusted. Victoria knocked on Wade's door and the nineteen year old answered. "Well, don't _you_ look good today, Victoria." Victoria blushed. She hadn't taken much time to get ready, and her hair was still unbrushed. "Shut up," Victoria said, pushing Wade playfully. "Let's go." And so the three best friends walked to the town square.

Wade wasn't actually eligible to be reaped, so he was there for moral support. So was Victoria, as the girl had no siblings and therefore wasn't eligible to be reaped. Kai, however, had his sister Genevieve, so he said goodbye to his friends, got his blood taken and went to stand in the eighteen year old boy's section. He spotted his chestnut-haired sister standing in the fourteen year old girls' section, looking very confused. Genevieve didn't know what the reaping was, or the Hunger Games, for that matter.

Then the mayor made his boring speech and played the boring movie, and finally sat back down. The escort was Ajax Kramer, a plump, weak man with a two foot tall neon green mohawk. "LET US CHOOSE OUR DISTRICT FOUR TRIBUTES!" Ajax screamed, nearly making the entire district deaf. Kai covered his ears. Ajax reached into the bowl filled with names of children with siblings. Then he pulled out a name.

"KAI MARIS!

Kai angrily mounted the stage. J_ust one more year and I would have been safe! _Kai fumed.

Kai Maris was not happy at that moment.

**District 4: Genevieve Maris**

An odd-looking man had just called out Genevieve's brother's name. She was very confused. Why was he so angry looking? Why did Kai go on the stage? Why did the man have green hair? Now the green-haired man was asking Kai who his sibling was. Genevieve was very confused. She had so many questions, but Kai was too far away for her to ask them. She turned to ask Marina, but her friend was frozen. "Marina? Marina, what's happening?" Genevieve asked her friend. Marina just hugged her friend gently.

Now the man called her name. What was happening? Marina gently pushed her towards the stage. Genevieve was very scared now.

Now men in white uniforms were pushing her towards the stage. She didn't want to go! They were grabbing her hands. She tried to pull away, but they tightened their grip. Finally she was there. The loud, weird man screamed again "DISTRICT FOUR, I PRESENT YOU WITH YOUR TRIBUTES, KAI AND GENEVIEVE MARIS!" Kai grabbed her hand. "Stop it, Kai," Genevieve pulled her hand back. "Just shake my hand, Genevieve!" Kai muttered angrily. Genevieve didn't like people being mad at her. She whimpered and backed up slightly. "Genevieve, shake. My. Hand. NOW." Genevieve took her brother's hand just to make her happy. "Why are you mad, Kai?" She asked nervously. Kai stayed silent. Now the men in the white uniforms were leading her into a building she had gone into when her father died. Her brother called it 'The Justice Building'. Genevieve didn't know why, but now they were bringing her towards it, towards it...

She didn't know that it was to say goodbye.

* * *

**A/N: ****So, who did you like best? Who do you think has a good chance of winning so far?  
**

**Sorry if this is loooooooooooong! Hey, EverWonder? Did I make Aphrodite bratty enough?  
**

**I have no idea where this is going...  
**


	3. Reapings D5-D8

**A/N:** **Okay, now we're two thirds through the reapings. Sorry if they're a bit long.**

**I've had to make some tough choices while accepting tributes, but I think I made the right decisions.**

**I would like to apologize to katnissfire87654 and todetterocks15, who did not get to submit a tribute,**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

**District 5: Greta Bancroft **

"Rory, do you like this dress? Thanks!" Greta Bancroft smiled brightly and dressed in the light blue, ratty dress her mother, Kayla, had laid out for her. "Greta? Can you come downstairs so that I can brush your hair?" Kayla called. "Okay! Rory, come on!" Greta walked out of the room, and nobody followed.

Because nobody was in the room besides Greta.

Rory was Greta's imaginary friend. The two had been 'friends' since Greta was two. Greta had no other friends and was confused about why her mother tried to get her to make real friends. "I have Rory," she would say. "I don't _need_ other friends! Rory _is_ real!"

The twelve-year-old raced down the hall and into her mother, who laughed. "C'mon, Greta. Sit down," The red-haired girl obeyed and her mother began to attempt to make the split ends look nicer by putting her daughter's hair in a braid. "Can I bring my finger puppet? Rory and me want to have a show!" Explained Greta excitedly. "Well, you can bring the puppet, but you can't have a show at the reaping..." "Okay, mommy!"

**District 5: Ed Bancroft**

"ED!" Kayla yelled. "WE HAVE TO GO NOW!"

"COMING!" The boy arrived a moment later. "Hey, mom. What do you called a short-sighted dinosaur?" "I don't know, what?" "A do-you-think-he-saw-us!" Ed cracked up at the terrible joke. The joke itself was awful, but the way the ash-blonde haired boy said it, it made his mother crack up. Greta just looked confused.

The three stepped out the door and began to walk to the reaping. "Oh, wait! I almost forgot about my penny!" Ed had a lucky penny that he brought with him everywhere. He believed it brought him good luck, as he had lot of friends and a loving family.

Once Ed got the penny and came back, they started walking again, Greta talking to Rory all the way.

Once they got to the square, they had to stand in line to get their blood taken. Ed went right through, but Greta looked confused and then horrified as the needle sunk into her flesh. She whimpered and moved on. "Ed, why did they hurt me?" She asked. "Because... I'm not really sure, actually." He answered.

The children went to their respectable sections, Greta in the twelve year old girls' and Ed in the section for siblings under- or over-age.

Some of Ed's friends had siblings who were eligible, but they themselves were not eligible, therefore they stood in the same section as Ed. "Hey, Cain. What's white and goes up? A confused snowflake!" Nobody laughed. "Well, I guess... You're a confused snowflake?" Ed attempted to insult his friend. It didn't work.

Ed and his many friends chatted through the Mayor's dull speech and the history movie, but then they listened up when the escort, a cruel looking man with black hair in a crew cut stood up. He dug through the large glass bowl and pulled out a slip of paper. His deep voice echoed through the microphone as he announced the tributes. _Not me, not Greta, not me, not Greta, _Ed thought, biting his fingernails.

"Greta Bancroft!"

_Shoot._

**District 5: Greta Bancroft**

Greta confusedly went up onto the stage. The man on it had just called her name, and she wanted to know why. Once she was there, she asked. "Why did you say my name?" "Well, now you're in the Hunger Games," the man said. _Oh, no. Mommy and Ed talked about this. No!_ "Call someone else's name. I don't want to be in the Hunger Games," Greta told him. "Sorry, you have no choice."

"Why?"

"Because I called your name."

"Choose a different name."

The man sighed. This was going to be a long few weeks. "Who's your sibling?" "Why?" "The rules are that your brother must enter the games with you this year." "But I don't want Ed to be in the Hunger Games!" "Ed. Ahh, okay. Would Ed please come to the stage?"

**District 5: Ed Bancroft**

Ed's friends were gone. They abandoned him as his fate was determined. _They—they left me! How could they!? _He thought. He felt like crying. "Greta! Mommy!" Ed cried out. He didn't actually cry, but as he walked to the stage, closer to death, his lip began to wobble. Once he was onstage he looked for Kayla. When he found her, his heart broke. She was sobbing.

"District five, I present your tributes; Greta and Edward-" "I'm Edmund!" Ed growled. "Greta and Edmund Bancroft!"

**District 6: Richie Sauski**

Richie Sauski grunted as he pushed out from beneath the car he was working on on his creeper. "I think I fixed it, Stan!" Richie called to his adoptive father. Stan came over coated in black grease and pulled himself onto the creeper under the car. "Wow, you did a great job, Richie!" The Asian boy smiled at the complement. "Well, you see, I just put a new battery in and..." The black-haired boy went on a five minute explanation on how he had fixed it. Richie was a bit of a know-it-all, but he actually did know quite a bit.

"You better go wash up, son. The reaping is in an hour and your uncle still wants to get a bit of training in before then." Stan's brother Carl had won the

103rd games and often trained Richie, even though he would probably never have to enter the games.

Richie stepped into the shower, letting the steamy water rinse away the grease and grime of the day. When he got out, he dressed himself in a simple blue T-shirt and tan pants. He tied his longish black hair back with a piece of string he found in the bathroom.

Richie met his uncle at the bottom of the stairs. Carl was a very thin man with bags under his eyes from the morphling he had taken for the past ten years. The two walked to the backyard, where there was a mat in one corner, paper targets shaped like humans attached to two trees and a table with five daggers laid out on it. Richie followed his uncle to the mat, knowing what he was about to practice. Richie was a black belt in Jujitsu, but, as his uncle said, you need to practice to stay practiced.

The two males fought for a few minutes. Carl made rude comments every few seconds. "What, is that the best you've got?" "I thought you were a black belt, not a white belt!" "A five year old could have dodged that!" These are just a few examples of what Carl said. "Oh yeah, I'm terrible," Richie said sarcastically. "I could never _possibly_ win the games if I was reaped." They moved on to the daggers. Richie was able to throw the weapons, stab with them and skin humans or animals.

Richie finished practicing and he, his father and Carl set off for the town square. Many people in the district were very rude to him for a few reasons. One was his lineage.

As Richie and his family moved through the crowd, racial slurs could be heard. One boy even went so far as to trip Richie. He separated from his family to get his blood taken and took his place in the fifteen-year-old boys' section. He was just able to see his sister Kimmie's hair in the twelve-year-old girl section. The escort walked onto the stage. Apparently Richie and his family had missed the movie and the mayor's dull speech. The escort reached into the bowl. Richie crossed his fingers behind his back.

"Richie Sauski!"

**District 6: Kimmie Sauski _(before the reaping)_**

"KIMMIE! GET DOWN HERE NOW!" Kimmie Sauski's mother yelled from downstairs. Kimmie rolled her eyes. She was _trying_ to throw daggers at targets. She got bulls-eyes every time but hey, practicing doesn't hurt.

Kimmie heard three pairs of feet climbing the stairs. It was Ember, Kirby and Janie, her loyal worshipers. At least _somebody_ knew how to treat the best girl in District six.

Kimmie had taken over her group of friends around the time her parents kicked her brother out. They now all feared her and obeyed her every word.

Ember was the first one to burst through the door. "Hey, Kimmie?" She asked timidly. "Your mom is calling for you. She's saying that you need to go to the reaping... now," All three of the twelve year old worshipers cowered like they about to receive a slap. Kimmie delivered one to each of them.

Nevertheless, all four children ran downstairs dressed in their reaping clothes.

Kimmie was wearing a tradition kimono, proud of her heritage. She also had her long black hair tied back in a bun. Her mother looked down angrily at her, fire dancing in her dark brown eyes. "Why did you take so long?" "I was busy," Kimmie answered coldly. Kimmie's father entered but did not comment on the way mother was looking at daughter and visa versa.

The six-Kimmie, her mother, her father, Kirby, Janie and Ember- walked out the door in single file. Kimmie, of course, was in the front.

When they arrived, only Kimmie and Janie had to get their blood taken, as Kimmie had a brother and Janie a baby sister. Kimmie glared at the peacekeeper as he took her blood. The glare did not change until after she was in the twelve-year-old girl's section with Janie. The Sauskis had missed the mayor's speech and the Capitol movie, so the escort was calling a name now. It was Kimmie's brother, Richie. She hadn't even known if her brother was still alive.

She did know that now she was in the Hunger Games. The escort, with her ridiculous neon pink hair had just started asking Richie who his sibling was, but Kimmie was already onstage, happy at the thought of killing people.

Kimmie was a very bloodthirsty little girl.

She smiled and flipped her hair back, pulling it out of it's bun. "Kimmie Sauski, inferior." Th escort's mouth was in an 'O'. The pink-haired lady was about to ask what Kimmie had just answered.

**District 6: Richie Sauski _(A few minutes before)_**

His name was announced. Richie was going into the Hunger Games. He mounted the stage with tears streaming down his cheeks and, to make it even worse, racial slurs were being aimed at him from the crowd. When he got to the stage the escort asked who his sibling was, but Kimmie was already stepping up, smiling. "S-shake hands, you two!" The escort told them. Instead they hugged. "Allies?" Richie whispered into his sister's ear. "Allies," she replied. They pulled apart.

"District Six, your tributes, Richie and Kimmie Sauski!"

**District 7: Rowan Appleby**

_Snap_. Rowan Appleby jumped. He slowly turned and saw a small house-cat looking up at him "Meow?" Rowan sighed. He'd come here for _quiet, _but now this cat was going to interrupt his peace. He slung his brown bag across one shoulder and started off back home.

Rowan really shouldn't have been in the woods anyway. He could get executed for poaching like that.

The rusty-haired boy trudged on.

He didn't really care, because the woods was one of the very few people free areas in District Seven. And Rowan hated people.

When he arrived home, his mother was in the living room reading. Brooke Appleby was a quiet, petite woman in her early forties. She was just about the only person Rowan would have a civil conversation with. "Hi, mom," Rowan said, putting his bag on the ground next to the door. "Hey, Rowan. Where are Teek and your dad?"

Teek was Rowan's fraternal twin, but they had complete opposite personalities. Rowan hated people. Teek was the most popular guy at school. Rowan hardly had any normal conversations with anyone. Teek talked constantly.

"I dunno, mom. If I were to guess, I'd say that he's probably hanging out with Grover at the Fir." The Fir was District Seven's black market, named for the four Fir trees surrounding it. Grover was one of Rowan's best friends.

Brooke sighed. "I wish Teek didn't hang out there. I bet _criminals_ go there," she said, leaning her head back. "No, mom. The world is a happy rainbow world with fluffy bunnies that chose the Fir as their hangout," Rowan answered sarcastically. "Don't you take that tone with me, mister," Rowan rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna go get ready for the reaping."

"Okay."

So Rowan got ready. He put on a dark green shirt and brown shorts. He found his brother and father sitting. "You finally out of the bathroom, Mr. I-look-like-a-tree?" Teek said, smiling evilly. "Well, you look a lot like the greasy chicken that you carved!" Rowan spat back. "Boys, boys!" Their mother finally got their attention. "Go get ready, Teek," she commanded. Teek jogged towards the bathroom to begin getting ready.

When he came back out, he was dressed in a white shirt and brown pants. Once everyone was ready, Brooke stood up. "Okay. let's go, guys." She said grimly. They all walked out the door and towards the square.

**District 7: Teek Appleby**

Teek and his family walked to the square together, Teek talking animatedly to his father and Rowan conversing quietly with his mother.

When they arrived at the square, Teek and Rowan got their blood taken and walked into the sixteen-year-old boys' pen. While the mayor made his boring speech and put on the movie from the Capitol, Teek talked to one of his many friends.

Then the escort walked onstage. He had dog ears attached to the top of his head and was dressed in a dog costume. Teek snickered at the sight. He noticed that his brother was glaring at everyone. Rowan was extremely introverted.

The escort walked over to the large glass ball in the center of the stage. The glass ball held sixteen slips of paper in it that belonged to both of the Appleby boys, eight slips for Rowan and eight for Teek They had taken out two tesserae each one year when they had been short on money.

"Rowan Appleby!" The dog-escort shouted. _Damn it, Rowan, you jerk! Thanks for sentencing me to my death!_ Teek thought angrily. He glared at his brother, who had frozen in shock, not sure if he had heard right. Once his mind had processed what had happened, however, he smiled ruefully, darkly, and walked to the stage slowly, not making a sound. This was rare for Rowan, as he hardly ever smiled. "Who's you sibling?" The dog-escort asked. It was odd, the escort even had a slight bark in his voice, like a dog.

"Teek Appleby," The muscular boy answered in his deep voice. He looked very intimidating. Teek jogged up the steps and began yelling. "You asshole,

Rowan! You-you shithead! You got reaped! YOU KILLED US, YOU MAGGOT!" Teek screamed. He ran towards his brother and punched him in the stomach. Caught off guard, Rowan doubled over, moaning. Three muscular peacekeepers made their way upstage and restrained Teek. "Oh my, god, I _HATE _YOU, ROWAN!"

"Uh, District Seven, Rowan and Teek Appleby!"

**District 8: Lacy Bradford**

_Clink, clank, clink, clank!_ Lacy Bradford tiredly wiped the sweat from her forehead. The sweat was making her long, crinkly black hair stick to the back of her neck.

Lacy fed the cotton into the machine that would make it into thread. Someone on the other end would weave a small bit of fabric, someone else would weave even more, and after a while they would have a roll of cloth

_Why, in a world with hovercrafts and food that appears out of nowhere, do we have to do this in such an old-fashioned way?_ Wondered Lacy. She fed more cotton through the machine.

A few minutes later, a bell sounded. Lacy sighed with relief. The workday was over, cut short because of the reaping.

Lacy trudged home, stumbling over her own feet as she made her way towards the house. When she opened the door, she saw random things strewn all over the floor. "Karrin! Get down here!" She called angrily. Since their mother had died in a freak factory explosion, Lacy had taken to being the motherly figure in the house. Sometimes she worked twenty-four hour shifts in the factory to support her small family.

Karrin ran to the room her sister was in and widened her eyes at her sister's angry expression. "Pick these up. NOW," Lacy ordered. "Okay," the slightly irritated ten year old complied. Lacy sighed and a tear slipped onto her cheek. The last few years had been so hard...

Lacy pushed these thoughts aside. It wouldn't create a meal, it wouldn't create money and it wouldn't help her family. The thoughts were useless.

She went to the small bathroom and began washing as well as she could. The Bradfords were poor, and they didn't have a real shower.

After Lacy had dressed, she made a half of a sandwich for her, her father and Karrin. They were short on food, so they could not have a full sandwich each.

Even after Lacy was finished with her meager meal, her stomach growled. "Karrin, you should go get ready for the reaping," Lacy's father said. "'Kay, dad," she answered, scooting her chair away from the small table and getting up slowly. "And you, Lacy, should go get your reaping dress on."

Lacy began getting up. Her father touched her shoulder gently. "I'm so sorry you have to work in that factory, Lacy." He said. "It's fine, dad," she answered. "No, it's not. You should be able to hang out with friends." He frowned and hugged his daughter. She smiled weakly at him. "I should go get ready," she said.

Lacy went into the small bedroom that her father and sister shared. She found Karrin there, looking at a worn green dress that had once belonged to Lacy in distaste. "Do I _have _to wear this? Can't I wear pants and a shirt instead?" She asked. "No," Lacy smiled slightly at her sister's boyishness. "It's just be for a little bit. Karrin sighed. "Fine." "Want me to do your hair?" Asked Lacy after Karrin had slipped the dress on "Sure!" Lacy began to braid.

**District 7: Karrin Bradford (an hour before)**

Karrin began to pick up the things she had left on the floor. Her sister had told her to and even though it irritated Karrin when her sister acted like her mother, she knew it would make Lacy's mood slightly better.

When Karrin was done, Lacy called her and her father into the tiny dining room to eat a half of a sandwich. Karrin knew her stomach would growl even after she had eaten. _I HATE being poor! _Karrin thought angrily, taking a fierce bite of her tiny sandwich. When she was finished, her father told her to go get ready for the reaping. She passed the cracked mirror hung in the hall and saw her honey-brown eyes staring back at her.

She moved on to her/her sister's/her father's tiny bedroom to get dressed. She looked at a worn green dress that had once belonged to Lacy in distaste. Then Lacy entered and saw the look on her sister's face. "Do I _have _to wear this? Can't I wear pants and a shirt instead?" Karrin asked. "No," Lacy smiled slightly at her sister's boyishness**. "It's just for a little bit. Come on, put it on." She said. "Fine." Karrin sighed.

"Want me to do your hair?" Lacy asked after her sister had slipped on the green dress. "Sure!" Karrin answered eagerly. Lacy was very good at doing hair.

Karrin sat down on the edge of the bed and Lacy gently pulled a broken comb through Karrin's neck-length dark brown hair. Afterwards, she began to braid her sister's hair and finally tied them off with pieces of string she had found on the floor. "Now can you do mine?" Lacy asked. "Sure," answered Karrin. She put her sister's hair into the same style as her's. The only difference was that Karrin's work was slightly messier. They both put on worn brown ballet flats.

"I think we're ready," Lacy said. They met their father in the hall. "Oh, wait," Karrin stopped short. "I need to say goodbye to Velvet." Velvet was Karrin's Persian cat*. Karrin kissed the white-furred creature on the head and hugged her, then rejoined her father and sister at the front door.

**District 8: Lacy Bradford**

Together they walked to the town square. Once they were there, Karrin and Lacy got their blood taken and their father went to stand in the sidelines. When the two sisters stood in line to get their blood taken, Lacy noticed that her friends, Janie and Brandy, were standing right in front of her, talking animatedly. "Hey, guys," Lacy greeted. "Hey, Lacy." They chorused. The friends talked for a moment, and, when their blood was taken, Lacy and Janie went to the sixteen-year-old girls' section, while Karrin went to the under- and overage siblings' pen and Brandy went to the seventeen year old boys' section.

Lacy had met Janie and Brandy when she was working in the factory. They all worked on the same floor and whenever they had an even remotely long lunch break the three would talk.

Janie and Lacy talked quietly through the mayor's speech and the movie from the Capitol. Afterward, the escort stepped onstage. He had silver hair that hit the middle of his back and bright green skin. "Let's choose some TRIBUTES!" He said, putting more emphasis in 'Tributes' He reached into the glass bowl. _Not me and Karrin, PLEASE!_ Lacy thought. She squeezed Janie's hand. Janie could go into the arena too, as she had a brother who was nineteen.

"Lacy BRADFORD!"

A single tear rolled down Lacy's cheek as she mounted the stage. She gave a flick of her hair and attempted to smile, though it looked more like a grimace. "Who's your sibling, LACY?" The escort asked. "K-karrin B-bradf-ford," she stuttered. As her sister mounted the stage she thought _this cannot be happening..._

**District 8: Karrin Bradford**

_They called Lacy's name. He called Lacy's name. Quarter Quell. Siblings go in with siblings. NO!_ These were Karrin's first thoughts as the silver-haired escort called her sister's name.

When the escort had asked who her sibling was, Lacy had somehow managed to answer. Karrin slowly stumbling her way up the steps. Half of her was thinking that going slowly was a small way of being rebellious, keeping them waiting, taking her time.

The other half thought this: _I'MGONNADIEI'MGONNADIEI'MGONNADIE._

"District eight I present you with your tributes for the one hundred and twenty-fifth Hunger Games, Lacy and Karrin BRADFORD!

***I have no idea how they can afford that cat...**

****Is that a word?**

**A/N: I should be able to get a new chapter up every 3-4 days. R & R! **

**Thank you DomiHeart1497, loverman22, the last victor of district 2, GirlSentFromTheOcean and androidilenya! I loved your reviews, guys!**


	4. Reapings D9-D12

**A/N: So, last reaping chapter. If you didn't see much of your character's history, I have a plan :P **

**My birthday was on February 10th! Wish me a happy birthday and you get a piece of virtual cake, you get to choose the flavor!**

**Sorry it took so long! I really hate writer's block. I swear, it's worse than the flu! The reapings were fun at first, now I'm just like grrrrrrrr... And this chapter is, like, more than 7,000 words, including the author's notes. And it's eleven pages. URGGHHHH. Enough of my ranting. R & R!**

**Disclaimer: I just got a message. Suzanne Collins gave me a present for my birthday. She gave me the Hunger Games! Oh, no. I just got another message. The proof got blown up by the D3 tributes. So, for now, I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES.**

* * *

**District 9: Rosealie Aldjoy**

Rosealie Aldjoy's shoulders and spine ached as she raked the rake across the planting land. Her sister, Vivian, dropped seeds in behind her. After that, someone smoothed the ground over the seeds behind Vivian. A bell sounds after a few minutes, indicating that the work day was over. The sisters sighed with relief. They straightened their backs, although this was difficult as they had been bent over for the past four hours. Rosealie and Vivian put down their baskets and tools and started out for home.

When they got there, they hear small feet pattering towards the door. A second later, the door opened to reveal a six-year-old girl with the same bright blue eyes as her sisters and brother. Standing behind was Vivian and Rosealie's triplet brother, Rye. "Hey, guys," he greeted. "Hey, Rye," The fifteen year old girls greeted back. They walked in and Rye closed the door behind them. "You got out early," Rosealie noted. "Yeah, I got everything they wanted me to do done early, so they let me go." Rye explained. "Huh. I would've thought they'd find something else for you to do," Vivian said, plopping down on a wooden chair. Rye was still standing. "We should really go get ready for the reaping," Rye said. "I don't wanna go!" Bethany piped up.

Bethany had learned what the Hunger Games were a couple weeks ago in school. "Sorry, Beth. We have to," Rye picked up his small sister and walked off to Bethany's bedroom with her. "He's right. We should really go get ready," Vivian said, talking to her sister. "Alright. We'll do each other's hair?" She asked. "Sure," Rosealie replied

The two triplets went to their room and found Rye pulling a t-shirt over his head. "You should really shut the door," Rosealie teased. Rye rolled his eyes and walked out. The girls burst out laughing. They both got dressed in slightly dirty white dresses and decided to leave their brown hair down. Their mother called the color of their hair 'chocolate brown' She explained chocolate as a creamy, melty, sweet candy and had showed them what it looked like in the candy shop. Not that they could ever afford to buy it.

Rosealie and Vivian exited the bedroom and went back to the small living room. There they found their parents, Rye and Bethany. "How do we look?" Rosealie asked. "You look beautiful," their mother replied, smiling. Rosealie looked at her father. "Dad? Your opinion?" She asked. "stunning," he answered. The family of six and began to walk to the door.

Rosealie was the last one out. Before she closed the door, she looked around. She crossed her fingers, hoping that she wasn't reaped, and shut the door.

**District 9: Vivian Aldjoy**

Vivian walked with her family towards the down square, standing between her triplet brother and sister and talking lively to them. "Hey guys, what... what if we get reaped?" Vivian asked, suddenly nervous. "Then... we'd try to come home. But we won't get reaped." Rye said, attempting to be reassuring. Everyone walked in silence for a moment.

When they got to the town square, the triplets got their blood taken and stamped onto a piece of paper. Bethany had to get her blood taken too, because her siblings were eligible, it made her eligible for that year. She cried, but Rosealie comforted her. "Hey, Bethy, it's okay," she said, stroking her sister's hair as the six-year-old cried into her shoulder.

The triplets guided Bethany to the pen tied off for under- and over-age siblings. They told her to wait there and then they went to the fifteen year old section, Rye to the boys and Vivian and Rosealie to the girls, respectively. When Vivian and Rosealie reached their spots, they began talking quietly. "Blend in," Rosealie told her sister. "I really don't want to be noticed." The mayor made his tedious speech and put on the slow Capitol movie. When it was over, the escort walked onstage. She had ridiculous bright orange hair and eyes so green that it hurt when Vivian looked at them. "Welcome, D9. Wazzup! The Hunger Games are like OMG, so let's choose our tributes for this year, kay?" The escort asked. She strode over to the glass bowl in the center of the stage.

_Notmenotmenotme_, Vivian thought, crossing her fingers behind her back.

"Rosealie Aldjoy! Get up here, girlfriend!"

**District 9: Rosealie Aldjoy**

Tears ran slowly down Rosealie's cheeks when her name was called. She cried softly to herself. _I can win. I can do it,_ she assured herself. She walked slowly onto the stage. "No! Rose!" She heard Rye shout. She turned and was just in time to see him take out a dagger and begin to fight through the crowd. Peacekeepers began to run towards him, but he still fought through. Rosealie found her sister in the crowd. Vivian had gotten as close as she could to her brother and was calling to him. "Stop, Rye! You're going to get yourself killed!" Rye didn't stop, however, until a muscular peacekeeper restrained him from behind and a second peacekeeper took the dagger.

"Um, well, whateves. Who's your sibling, girlfriend?" The escort asked awkwardly. "Be-bethany, V-vivian and—R-r-Rye." Rosealie answered, tears still leaking out of her eyes. "Well, like, who was, like, born right before you?" The green-eyed escort asked. "V-vivian is my triplet and Bethy is s-six and R-rye is my triplet, t-too" Rosealie responded. "Well, uh, Vivian, get up here, girl!" The Capitol lady called.

**District 9: Vivian Aldjoy**

It seemed like a dream, but much too real. The escort had just called her name, so it was more like a nightmare.

Vivian sniffled and made her way up to the stage, trying to stop herself from sobbing. She was going into the Hunger Games. "Well, like, um, District nine, here are your, like, tributes, Rosealie Aldjoy and Vivian Aldjoy." The escort said.

Vivian and Rosealie were lead off the stage. They stopped for a moment and watched in silence as Rye was lead up onto the stage, a mixture of anger and fear visible on his face. Two peacekeeper were restraining him. A peacekeeper brought a gun slowly to Rye's temple and before Rosealie or Vivian could do or say anything, the gun fired.

The blood flowed.

The remaining triplets screamed.

Rye was dead.

* * *

**District 10: Jezzebelle Litlock**

When Jezzebelle Litlock woke up, the first thing she did was look outside. It was early, about six o'clock in the morning, which meant that she could still see a few stars in the sky.

Jezzebelle loved stars. She thought they were amazing, and was mystified on the rare occasion that she saw a shooting star. The skinny girl got dressed in a stained blue blouse that had belonged to her mother before she and Jezzebelle's father had passed away from old age and disease the age had brought.

They had been nearly fifty when they had passed, which was normal in District ten, as it was one of the poorer districts.

Jezzebelle walked to the small, dirty kitchen and saw her brother's wife, Marta, standing at the small gas stove. She seemed to be cooking a bread made from tessera grain. Jezzebelle had insisted on taking tesserae, even though her brother had told her not to. Marta looked over at Jezzebelle and smiled. "Good morning, Jezzy," she greeted. "Marta morning good!" The girl answered. Jezzebelle had trouble putting words in the correct order, therefore making it difficult to understand her. Marta and Jezzebelle's brother, Itzel, had gotten used to it, though.

Marta put the bread dough on a pan and took out a pan that had already been in the oven. "Jezzy, do you want any bread?" Asked Marta. Jezzebelle attempted to wrinkle her nose, but because she also had trouble with facial expressions, Marta had mistaken it for a strained smile. "Nervous about the reaping?" Marta asked. "Guess I," Jezzebelle answered, sitting down at the dining room table with the broken leg. Marta placed a plate in front of her with a slice of bread on it. "Want didn't this I!" Jezzy complained, shoving the plate to the center of the table. "Sorry," Marta apologized, taking the plate back. "But it's all the food we have right now, Jezzy." She explained. "Fine," Jezzy grumbled, taking bite of the bread and holding her nose. She swallowed and shivered.

After she was done with her breakfast, a small boy who was about five years old entered the dining room/kitchen. His name was Kindle, and he was Marta and Itzel's son. "Morning Kindle good," Jezzy said in a way of greeting. Kindle smiled at her. "Good morning," Kindle said. He hugged her, then he ran over to his mother. "Good morning, Kindle," Marta smiled down at her son.

They all ate breakfast and got ready for the day. When Jezzy was ready, she sat at the dining room table, thinking.

It was at this moment that thirty-year-old Itzel entered, sweating from a hard day of labor. Itzel looked like a superhero with his muscles, blonde hair in a crew cut and deep emerald eyes. "Hey, Jezzy," Itzel greeted, smiling. "Itzel hi!" Jezzy smiled, but it looked more like a grimace. She went to hug him, but then realized how sweaty he was. "Take Itzel shower!" She commanded. Itzel laughed and went to the small washroom at the end of the hall to wash as well as he could without a bathtub.

When everyone was ready, they all stepped out of the door, towards the town square, towards possible death.

**District 10: Itzel Litlock**

Itzel looked at his younger sister as he walked to the town square with his family. Jezzebelle had put her waist-length hair in a bun, like usual. Kindle was very cute looking, even if his clothes were very worn. _Marta is beautiful, as always,_ Itzel thought, smiling. He walked to his wife and kissed her on the cheek.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a boy walking towards them. "Hey, look. It's stupid smelly Jezzy. Jeez, Jez!" They laughed. Itzel felt himself getting angry. "Leave her alone. GO!" He commanded. The boys looked at him. They turned and began to walk away, but not before giving the family the finger. Itzel rolled his eyes.

When they arrived at the square, Itzel and Jezzebelle separated from Marta and Kindle. Since Itzel was Jezzy's brother and this year's Quarter Quell meant that he was eligible, he had to go with Jezzy, even though he was thirty. He and Jezzebelle signed in. Jezzy went to stand fifteen-year-old girl's section while Itzel went to stand with the under- and over-age siblings.

The mayor made his uninteresting speech and played the movie from the Capitol. After that, the escort walked onstage. Surprisingly, she actually looked normal, other then the slight pink highlight in her hair. "Welcome, District ten!" She said. She actually sounded pretty normal, too. "Let's choose the tributes!" She reached into the bowl. Itzel closed his eyes and hoped she wouldn't say the name...

"Jezzebelle Litlock!"

**District 10: Jezzebelle Litlock**

The escort had just called her name. She was going to die. Jezzebelle was _extremely_ scared. Who wouldn't be if their name was called in the reaping?

Jezzebelle grimaced, but because she had trouble with expressions, it almost looked like she was smiling.

"Hey, weirdo! Go die in the hellhouse arena!" The boys who made fun of her early were back. Tears welled up in her eyes as she walked onstage, insults being thrown at her as she went. "What's your sibling's name, Jezzebelle?" Asked the escort. "Itzel brother, Litlock my," Jezzy answered. The escort looked confused.

**District 10: Itzel Litlock**

Itzel felt murderous. How dare those boys! It wasn't Jezzy's fault she was different! Jezzy climbed to the stage and tried to answer the escort's question, but was confused by Jezzy's jumbled answer.

_Oh, Jezzy! You killed us!_ He thought. _But it's not really her fault... What are we going to do? What about Kindle and Marta?_ The thoughts flew through Itzel's mind, his eyes widening at every new one. He mounted the stage. "Itzel Litlock," Itzel informed the escort. When the Capitolite told the siblings to shake hands, they hugged instead. "District ten, Jezzebelle and Itzel Litlock!"

* * *

**District 11: Talia Jeanne Sinclair**

"Mommy, can you pick me up?" Two-year-old Maya asked her sister. Talia Sincair sighed. Maya had always thought that Talia was her mother, as her real mother had been killed when she was an infant. She picked the curly-haired toddler up and hugged her.

Talia kissed Maya on the head. She heard a knock on the door, and set Maya down to answer it. "Hi!" Talia's best friend Iris Erickson smiled. Iris and Talia had been friends for years and were extremely close.

Talia saw someone behind Iris. She leaned over and saw her distant cousin and other friend Hazel Tippins standing there. "Hey, Tali!" She greeted. "Hey, Zella. Come in, guys!" The two friends gladly entered. "Hi, Zewwa! Hi, Iwis!" Maya said excitedly. "Hey, Maya," They said back.

"Hey, Maya, how about you go play with your doll?" Talia asked. Maya nodded and ran off to play.

Once greetings were exchanged, Hazel handed Talia a small bag of teabags. "Mom told me to give these to Rissa, but Rissa thought that you should have them instead. Like a a reaping day present," she explained. Talia took them graciously and went to the tiny kitchen to make tea for the three of them. When the tea was brewed, Talia returned to her friends, handing them each a small cracked cupful. Hazel and Iris thanked her. Talia put her cup down and hugged her friends.

Iris put her cup down. "Hey, want me to try to tame your hair?" She asked. "Sure. I don't think you'll have much luck, though," laughed Talia. She found a broken comb near her and Maya's bed and brought it to her best friend. Iris tried to no avail to tame Talia's thick, curly red hair. Talia sighed. "You tried," she said.

They heard a knock at the door. Talia froze. Nobody could know where she and Maya lived! What if it was her brothers, Damien and Dante? They were in a gang. She couldn't let them find her and Maya. She couldn't let Maya have that life.

Iris opened the door. A teenaged boy stood there with a box. Talia's eyes widened. "Hi," The boy said. "I'm the baker's son and I wanted to know if I could sell you any cookies-" Talia screamed. It was a boy!

Talia had been deathly afraid of men ever since her parents had been killed by a gang. The very same gang that her brothers were in, actually. Talia hadn't been killed, but she had been severely beaten. Now she had panic attacks every time she saw a male.

Talia's breathes became short. She screamed and went into a flashback that her friends could only guess what it was about. Talia whimpered while her friends quickly ushered the baker's son away.

Talia trembled, afraid of some invisible fear. _They're going to kill me,_ She thought "Hey, Tali? You okay?" Asked Hazel gently. Talia screamed and slapped Hazel. Hard. Hazel bit her lip and backed away quickly from her cousin. Talia curled up into a ball, still whimpering. Out of nowhere, she quickly got up and began running.

Talia was a very fast runner. She ran out the door and kept running, not knowing where she was going.

She stopped and then the panic attack was over. Talia hunched over, breathing hard. She thought for a moment. _I need to go home to get ready for the reaping. Oh, shit, Damien and Dante will be there. OH, SHIT! What if I'm reaped and they make Maya go in with me? Even worse, what if I have to go in with Dante or Damien? They'll kill me! And if I get killed, the other twin'll figure out where Maya was and get custody!_ Talia groaned. She stood up and started for home. She heard voices, and saw a large crowd emerge from a nearby ally. It was her brothers and their gang!

Talia bolted towards home.

**District 11: Damien George Sinclair**

"Hey, guys, what was that?" Damien Sinclair asked the gang he had been in for the past thirteen years. He had just seen someone and it looked suspiciously...human. _Payday!_ Damien thought. The Blood Hawks (the gang Damien and his twin brother Dante were in) were thieves, drug dealers and otherwise thugs. Another human to mug was another loaf of bakery bread, after they had mugged enough people.

The Blood Hawks turned and looked where Damien was pointing, but the thing he had seen was gone. "What? What didya see, Damien?" The gang leader asked. He was named Quint.

Quint was in his mid thirties. He had blonde hair cut in a crew cut, dark brown skin and had very large muscles. His dark brown eyes glared at Damien as he crossed his armed over his chest. "I-I thought I saw someone," Damien answered confusedly. "Uugghhh," Quint sneered in disgust. "I thought you were better than this, Damien." Damien shoved his hands into his pockets and didn't answer.

The Blood Hawks walked to their hideout, a secret safe-house hidden in a alleyway. Quint opened the rusty red door in the side of the wall and stepped aside for the other gang members to go inside. Everyone sat down.

"So. I think we should go to the reaping this year," Quint announced. Half of the gang member's eyes widened. This was because about half of them were twelve to eighteen. The other half didn't really care because they were either underage or overage. _Why? _Damien thought. A boy decided to speak Damien's thoughts. "Why?" The brave twelve-year-old piped up after a moment of uncomfortable silence. Quint narrowed his eyes at the boy. "Name?" He barked. "Uh, Grain." Grain said this so quietly that the gang members in the room could hardly hear him. _He's as small as one, _too. Thought Damien. It was true, Grain was short and skinny.

Those who did hear Grain's name began to laugh. "Shut up!" Quint ordered. The room became perfectly silent. "Stand up," he said. Grain shook as he stood. "I'm not sure whether I should call you brave, stupid or a coward." Quint said, walking back and forth in front of the scared boy. He paused for a moment, then suddenly kicked Grain's shins. Grain's eyes widen in pain. He dropped to the floor and closed his eyes. Damien watched this, his eyes cold. He thought about how stupid that boy was. He had never been that stupid when he was Grain's age.

"To answer Grain's question, we are going because hardly any of us have a chance of being reaped this year. Those who do could surely win and provide us with more territory and food." Quint explained. A glint entered his eye. Quint had a brother who he hated and was of age to be reaped. Everyone knew that Quint would love to be in the arena with his brother.

"I—don't really want to go into the games," Dante whispered very faintly to his brother. Quint heard this and slowly turned to the twins. "Which one of you just talked?" Quint asked curtly. Dante's eyes widened, and his jaw tightened into a scowl. He looked into Quint's eyes. Damien knew this was not a wise move. Quint grabbed the sleeve of Dante's shirt and pulled him up. Dante was fairly lanky, so it was not difficult to pull him to his feet. "What did you just say?" Quint growled. "I... said that I don't want... to be... in the... Hunger Games," Dante answered. He cringed slightly. Quint let him drop to the floor and kicked his side. Damien suppressed the urge to glare at Quint. Dante was Damien's best friend. He was fairly close to the other gang members, but Dante was his twin, so of course he would be closer to him. He also knew that if he stood up for his brother, he had no chance against Quint.

Quint looked around the room. "Let's go to the reaping."

**District 11: Talia Jeanne Sinclair**

Talia's feet slapped the pavement as she ran home at full speed. She stopped after about five minutes of running, breathing hard. She looked behind herself anxiously. _Did I lose them?_ She thought. _I think I did._ She didn't hear any shouting, that was a good sign. She half ran, half walked back home. Her side hurt from running. Even though she loved running she had never ran _that_ much.

She would have walked more slowly, but she knew that it was probably almost time for the reaping.

When she reached her cottage at the edge of the district, she let herself in. She looked around. The house was silent, but there was still a small cracked lamp left on. "Hello?" Talia called softly. She heard small feet pitter-pattering towards the sitting room. "Mama!" Maya shouted. She put her arms forward, motioning for Talia to pick her up. "I'm not your mommy, silly girl!" Talia smiled for the first time in hours. "Where are Risa and Zella?" "Wisa and Zewwla in da backyawd! Aund you aw my momma!" Maya giggled. There was a small yard behind the cottage. It was fenced off by the same fence that kept people from poaching in the forest. Talia jogged toward the back door, pausing only to set Maya down.

She heard voices in the back and opened the door to find Hazel and Iris talking. They both smiled when they saw her. "There you are!" Hazel said. "Hey," Talia said tiredly back. Although she was tired it did not stop her from smiling. "What time is it?" She asked. "One o'clock. We need to get to the town square," Iris said. Talia and Maya changed into reaping clothes, Iris and Hazel were already dressed. Just as them four girls were about to leave the house, Talia remembered her mother's necklace. She ran to the room that she and Maya shared to get it.

She looked on her small side table. Her eyes quickly found the pendant. It was a beautiful piece of jewelery, a aquamarine cross pendant that had once belonged to Talia's mother, Willow. Talia had been given the necklace when she was four. She still had the memory of sitting on her mother's lap while she was being hugged. When her mother let her go, she put the pendant around her daughter's neck. She told Talia that it was to remind her that no matter what happened, Willow would always be with her, even if Talia couldn't see her. Two tears slipped down Talia's cheeks as the memory entered her mind. She touched the aquamarine cross. Aquamarine was Talia's birthstone. She bit her lip to it from wobbling and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she realized that they would be late if they did not reach the town square in fifteen minutes.

_We'll have to run,_ Talia thought. "Talia, hurry up!" Iris called. Talia walked back to the living room just in time to see Hazel playfully slap Iris's hand. "Hey!" Talia shouted. Hazel froze. Talia was very sensitive to violence, even playful slaps. "Please, no hitting!" She said. She had a mildly afraid look on her olive-colored face. "Sorry, Tali. Come on, let's go," Hazel said somberly. "Mama, pidgy-bauck wide!" Maya squealed. Talia took a deep breath and bent down to pick up her sister.

The four girls filed out of the door, hurriedly walking towards the town square. Hazel's aunt was a victor, so she often gave family members small expensive things that people would usually only have in the Capitol. Hazel had received a watch three years back. Talia saw her look down at it. "Come on, guys! Hurry!" Just then, Talia thought of something for the second time that day. "Shit," She muttered. "What?" Iris asked, turning to her best friend in confusion. "Dante and Damien. They'll be at the reaping. Since I'm eligible, they'll be eligible for this year. They'll be in the same pen as Maya!" Talia explained, afraid. "Does their gang even go to the reaping?" Iris questioned.

"I don't know! They don't usually, but what if they change their mind this year!?"

"Just relax, Tali," Hazel said calmly. "They probably won't even be there."

Talia decided to trust her friend. She took a deep breath and walked on.

When they got to they town square, only Talia and Maya had to get her blood taken. When she looked toward the line, her heart dropped. She shook with fear. Standing there, in the line, was her brothers' gang.

She told Hazel and Iris, so they decided to stand there for a few minutes. Maya whined for food. "Shhh..." Talia told her gently. She knelt behind Hazel and Iris so that they they could cover her. They whispered to her when the gang members with siblings had gone to their respectable pens.

Talia shook as she stood. "Whoot's wong, mama?" Maya asked Talia. "Shhhh, Maya. Listen, the man over there's going to poke you with that needle and stick your finger onto that paper. I'm going to bring you to stand with a bunch of people. Listen to me, Maya. Do _not_ go near those men. Do you hear me?" Talia told Maya sternly, pointing to Dante and Damien, who were rapidly disappearing into the wave of people. "Yeah, momma!" Maya said. Maya cried when the peacekeeper took her blood, but quickly forgot about it when the mayor's kind daughter gave her a candy she called a 'lollipop' Talia lead Maya to the pen and decided that she could trust the mayor's daughter to watch her. "Please, _please_ make sure that the gang members don't find her," Talia pleaded. "Okay," the girl agreed. Talia walked to the fifteen-year-old girl's section, careful to avoid Damien and Dante.

The mayor walk onstage to deliver the boring speech and play the Capitol movie. After that, the escort walked onstage and began going on about what an honor it was to be in a district other than district twelve. She seemed very rude. "Well, let's choose the tributes." The lizard-escort walked to the glass bowl and fished around for what seemed like a century before she finally chose the name. Thoughts flew through Talia's mind. _Please, not me. I can't leave Maya. I can't bring Maya into the games. I can't go into the games with Dante or Damien!_

"Talia Jeanne Sinclair! Get up here now!"

**District 11: Damien George Sinclair**

Damien had been flirting-pretending to flirt-with a girl when his sister's name had been called. _Huh. Talia's alive and she's going into the Hunger Games? Sweet,_ Damien thought, smirking. He couldn't see her at the moment, but she had to be there.

**District 11: Talia Jeanne Sinclair**

_No. No, this can't be happening,_ These were Talia's first thoughts as her name was called. She collapsed on the cold dirt ground of the town square. Many peacekeepers ran over to the girl, but she had blacked out. One particularly rough peacekeeper grabbed her arm. Talia finally came to, but something was very wrong. A sickening crunch was heard. Talia screamed. The peacekeeper had broken her arm.

**District 11: Damien George Sinclair**

Damien smirked when he heard his sister scream. Something must have been broken. The peacekeepers had to drag her to the stage. _What a wimp,_ Damien thought, grinning. When Talia finally stood on the stage, the escort was very unsympathetic. "Oh, is your arm broken? Oh, boo, hoo, you're in the Hunger Games with a broken arm. How horrible" Damien decided he liked this escort. "Tell me the name of your sibling. Now, bitch!" The escort commanded. Damien almost laughed aloud. This was great. "Maya, Damien-" Talia shuddered when she said his name "-and Dante." "Well, that narrows it down. Who is older than you?" The escort asked. "Dante and Damien," Talia answered. "WHO WAS BORN RIGHT BEFORE YOU!?" The escort shouted. Talia looked confused for a moment, then scared and upset. "D-damien," She answered quietly. "DAMIEN SINCLAIR, GET UP HERE NOW, ASSHOLE!" Damien smiled. He hardly even cared about the escort and her name-calling habits. He was going in the Hunger Games with his sister. _I'll have fun killing her,_ he thought as he mounted the stage. Talia didn't move. Damien quickly reached out and grabbed the hand attached to the broken arm. Talia screamed. "Shut up," the escort commanded bitterly. "District eleven, Talia and Damien Sinclair!"

* * *

**District 12: Oriana Nova Vesperia**

"Mom, what are we going to have for dinner?" Oriana Vesperia asked quietly. _Probably not much,_ she thought. Oriana, her sister Astra and their parents, Luna and Orion, lived in the Seam and hardly ever had enough food.

Luna sighed. "I guess we'll probably have tessera bread and-" she dropped her voice "whatever Astra brings home from the woods." Astra did what could be considered poaching on a daily basis. Oriana came along sometimes, too, but not nearly as much as her twin. "Okay. Can I help you?" She asked. "There's-really not much to help with. You know how easy it is to make tessera bread," Luna answered. She exited the living room to begin making the bread dough. Oriana pulled a small, worn, ripped book and opened it. She read it with much fascination, It was about astronomy. Oriana and her twin sister Astra loved astronomy and always had.

Oriana read about moons, stars, constellations and generally space for about two hours before her mother asked her to get ready for the reaping. She went into the small bedroom she and Astra shared to dress in a torn midnight blue dress. When she had dressed, her mother offered to put her long, wavy black hair up. Oriana agreed. While Luna was doing Oriana's hair, the door creaked open and Oriana heard Astra and her friend Ky Lancaster enter. Ky was a boy who was also from the Seam. He had the same black hair as Astra, Oriana, and many other people who lived in that particular area of District Twelve. He also had the tradition gray Seam eyes. He always had a cheerful smile, even in the most dire of times. Ky had been Astra's friend since they had emerged from the womb. Oriana observed the way he looked at Astra, and suspected that Ky had a crush on her.

"Hey, Oriana, hey mom," Astra greeted. Oriana smiled in reply to her twin. Astra smiled and put a large sack that appeared to be extremely full on the small, scratched kitchen table. Luna smiled. "Good load?" She half-asked. "Oh, yeah!" Astra replied enthusiastically. She walked over to Oriana, who had just had her hair finished, and hugged her gently. "Hi, Astra," Oriana smiled at her sister and greeted her quietly.

"Astra, you should really go change for the reaping," Luna told her. "Oh, right! The reaping! Gotta go, Astra! Bye!" Ky dashed out of the door. Astra laughed for a moment and walked off to get ready for the reaping.

**District 12: Astra Celene Vesperia _(A few hours before)_**

Astra Vesperia opened her eyes sleepily. She looked outside and could tell by the position of he sun and moon that it was about six thirty in the morning. She sat up and yawned, rubbing her eyes. She climbed off of her and her sister's small broken mattress they called a bed. She look towards the small window on the wall left from their bed and saw her sister sleeping there, leaning against the dirty white frame. She smiled to herself. Oriana had probably fallen asleep stargazing again. Astra loved stargazing, just like her sister. She preferred to peek her head outside to watch the stars, asteroids and the moon. She loved feeling the slight breeze on her face.

She dressed herself in worn brown boots, a worn dark green shirt and dark brown pants that also belonged to her sister, as the twins shared an entire wardrobe, aside from their reaping dresses, because their family was incredibly poor.

Astra walked to the small kitchen table and picked up her brown sack that she always brought with her when she went into the forest.

She knew that it was considered poaching and that she could be killed for being caught doing it-again. Once she had been caught, and she still had the scars from the whip. _I was being careless then,_ Astra thought, walking through the Seam and towards the fence. _It won't happen again. _She stopped and listened for a second for the hum that would tell her if the fence was electrocuted or not. Her ears told her that it was safe, so she wiggled under a small spot dug out under the fenced, careful to look out for peacekeepers, Seam gang members or any other group or person that would give her trouble. Once she was on the other side of the fence, she ran to the forest, where no one in District twelve could see where she was.

Astra heard the crunch of a leaf. She froze, then slowly turned. When she saw the leaf-crushing culprit she grinned. "Hi, Ky!" Ky Lancaster appeared from behind a tree, also grinning. "How do you know it was me?" He asked. "The 'I made you look' trick is getting old, you've pulled it every day since we first came into the forest," Astra said, a teasing look in her dark green eyes. Ky blushed slightly. "Let's go check the traps and pick some plants, shall we?" Ky asked. "We shall," Astra answered.

They walked to a nearby trap, which they had set a day before and put in a tree so that wild dogs and other carnivorous animals would not eat the catch of the day. Inside the trap was a rabbit. "You can have it," Ky said. "No, you take it," Astra said back. This went on for quite a few minutes before the friends decided to take half of the rabbit each.

They harvested many different berries and plants before the brown bag was about to burst with the load inside of it. "We should go home," Astra said. "It's probably eleven or twelve o'clock. The reaping is at one thirty, and we still have to get ready. Astra said. "Can you help me carry this stuff back to my house?" She asked. Ky agreed, and together they hauled their load back to Astra's house. Discreetly, of course.

When they opened the door, Astra saw that her mother, Luna, was doing her twin sister Oriana's hair. She was braiding it into pigtails. "Hey, Oriana, hey mom," Astra greeted. Oriana smiled in reply to her twin. Astra smiled and put her large, bulging sack on the small, scratched kitchen table. Luna smiled. "Good load?" She half-asked. "Oh, yeah!" Astra replied enthusiastically. She walked over to Oriana, who had just had her hair finished, and hugged her gently. "Hi, Astra," Oriana smiled at he sister and greeted her quietly.

"Astra, you should really go change for the reaping," Luna told her. "Oh, right! The reaping! Gotta go, Astra! Bye!" Ky dashed out of the door. Astra laughed for a moment and walked off to get ready.

Astra walked quickly through the small house towards her and Oriana's room. She dressed in a midnight blue dress nearly identical to her sister's, except this dress was a shade of blue lighter. Astra did her own hair, braiding it so that it fell down her back, swaying for a moment before stopping and laying still. It rested on the middle of Astra's back, still slightly, gently swaying.

Astra ran to meet her mother, father and sister at the door. They started off to the town square. Astra talked to Oriana about the day and all of the stuff they would feast on when they returned home. Oriana, in turn, told her quietly about the things she had learned that day, about the constellations, what each was and their current positions in the sky. Astra was fascinated. She loved the mutual bond her and her sister had, and that the both loved the stars so much.

When they got to the town square, Luna and Orion hugged, kissed and wished their daughters good luck before going to stand with the other parents whose children had a possibility of being reaped.

Before they got their fingers pricked, this thought came to Astra's head. _Okay, let's go try to not get reaped._

**District 12: Oriana Nova Vesperia**

Oriana and Astra got their fingers pricked and went to stand in the eighteen year old girls' section. The mayor made his speech and played the movie from the Capitol before allowing the escort to stand. "Hi! Hi! Hi, District twelve!" This escort had bright, curly pink hair. She had also dyed her skin pink and had balloon tattoos all over her body. "My name's Pinky! Well, people call me Pinky, but I'm Majenta! Call me Pinky, okay guys?" Pinky said excitably. "Let's choose the tributes, okay, guys?" Pinky reached into the bowl.

"Oriana Nova Vesperia! Cool name, Oriana! Or should I call you Ori? Or Ana? How about Riana!? Either way, come to the stage, stage stage!"

Oriana's dark green eyes widened. _No, please, no,_ she thought. She trembled heavily as she made her way to the stage. _No, no, no. This can't be happening. Please, no..._ Oriana thought nervously. "What's you brother or sister's name, Riana? Or do you like Ori better? Or Ana?" Pinky asked, oblivious to Oriana's fear. "A-Astra Celene—Ve-vesperia," Oriana whispered, stuttering and say her sister's name slowly. "Well, okay! C'mere, Astra! Or do you like Tra? I guess you don't like Ast, right?"

**District 12: Astra Celene Vesperia**

_No, this isn't happening. It just isn't. Oriana didn't just get reaped,_ Astra thought as her sister trembled up to the stage. Anger mixed with fear and sadness. _ I hate the escort! _She thought. _Why is she so—so-so happy?!_ _I have to get sponsors,_ She thought when Oriana said her name. "Well, okay! C'mere, Astra! Or do you like Tra? I guess you don't like Ast, right?" Pinky giggled at her own joke. _I have to look like I'm happy,_ Astra thought. She ordered herself to put a smile on her face.

Astra smiled and made her way onstage, although she thought that the small snack her and Ky had made in the woods out of that rabbit was about to come back up.

"Okay, guys, shake hands!" Astra and Oriana hugged instead.

"Okay, District twelve, Oriana Nova Vesperia and Astra Celene Vesperia, guys!"

* * *

**A/N: Okay. Reapings are done. I thought they were fun at first, but towards the end they get reeeaaallly annoying. Sorry it took so long! **

**Okay. Tributes and identifying characteristics:**

**D1: Aphrodite Oner, brat. Vic Oner, Boy with cancer.**

**D2: Tye Brook, rebellious. Rose Brook, Five year old.**

**D3: Silmarien Andunie, thief, jerk. Aldarion Andunie, drug addict.**

**D4: Kai Maris, funny, happy. Genevieve Maris, autistic.**

**D5: Greta Bancroft, confused girl. Ed Bancroft, lame jokes, caring.**

**D6: Richie Sauski, know-it-all. Kimmie Sauski, controlling, mean.  
**

**D7: Rowan Appleby, introvert. Teek Appleby, extrovert.**

**D8: Lacey Bradford, motherly figure. Karrin Bradford, fierce, loyal, tomboyish.**

**D9: Rosealie Aldjoy, kind, sweet, caring. Vivian Aldjoy, outgoing.  
**

**D10: Jezzebelle Litlock, Aspergers, loves stars, odd word patterns. Itzel Litlock, kind father, brother and husband.**

**D11: Talia Jeanne Sinclair, hates violence, kind, afraid of men. Damien George Sinclair, gang member, jerk.**

**D12: Oriana Nova Vesperia, quiet, loves stars and reading about stars. Astra Celene Vesperia, more outgoing, gathers plants in the woods, loves her sister.**

**Next up, goodbyes!  
**


	5. Goodbyes Part One: I Will Try

**A/N: Sorry for the looonnggg update. The PC and laptop I was using both broke, so I couldn't write. Now the PC is working again :). R & R!  
**

**Oh, I almost forgot. Disclamer: I don't own the Hunger Games, but I do own the world. Just kidding! Enjoy!**

**District 1: Aphrodite Oner**

"Oh, my god! Dite, you're in the Hunger Games!" Amber squealed, entering the Justice building with Destiny and Ash. "So? I'll be back next week anyway. Shut up and leave." "But Dite, we just want to wish you good luck!" Ash piped up. Aphrodite glared at her and stood up from the plush velvet chair she was sitting in. "_You think I need LUCK?_" She spat. Ash's eyes widened. "No, Dite! We just want you to win!" She said. Aphrodite walked to where Ash was standing and slapped her in the face. "You stupid _BITCH._" She said. Ash looked up at her, rubbing her face. Her eyes were hard. "You know what, Aphrodite? You act like a brat. These two can serve you if they like, but I'm _gone._" She said. She turned toward the door. "Leave and never return, bitch!" Aphrodite called to Ash's back as she left. When she turned back to the remaining friends/minions. They looked like five year olds, their eyes wide and afraid. "What're you _looking _at, assholes?!" Aphrodite asked them angrily. "Get out of here! It's not like I'll be _gone_ for that long! When I come back, you two are going to be my maids. Get out!" She commanded. Amber and Destiny scuttled out of the room.

The next visitor was Carter.

"So. You're in the Hunger Games. I'm gonna miss you, babe." He said. Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm going to come back _dead,_ Carter. I can take care of _myself,_" she said "Really?" Carter raised his eyebrows in mock shock. "Because you haven't trained _any_ compared to the all-wonderful _me._" "Get_ out,_ Carter," Aphrodite said, throwing a pillow at Carter's head. He ran up to her and, before she could do anything, kissed her on the cheek and ran out the room. "See you in a couple weeks, babe!" He called.

Next was Ares. He stalked in, and for a moment an awkward silence filled the air. Finally, Aphrodite spoke. "What do you want, Ares?" She asked in an annoyed voice. "I-just wanted to wish you good luck. Not that you'll need any." He said. _Huh. First nice thing he's ever said to me,_ she thought. "Whatever," She said aloud. "Get out." Ares sighed and walked out.

Aphrodite sat alone in the room for a few more minutes, drumming her fingers on the arm of the velvet chair. Finally, a peacekeeper told her it was time to go. Her entire body filled with anger. _Figures,_ she thought bitterly._ My parents can't even say goodbye to their own daughter. Bitches._

**District 1: Vic Oner**

Vic wiped at the tears on his cheeks. He knew he would only have one visitor. The door creaked open. A beautiful young girl poked her head through the door She had silky brown hair and brown eyes. "Hey, Vic," she said softly. Vic allowed himself a small smile back. "Hey, Sparkle," he answered. Sparkle walked over to where Vic was sitting and hugged him. "You need to come back, okay?" She told him. "I'll try," He answered, his voice wobbling slightly. They cried into each other's shoulders for what seemed to Vic like too short of a time before a peacekeeper told them that their time was up. Before she left, Sparkle kissed him gently on the cheek. Vic sat there for a few minutes, shocked, but by the time he responded, Sparkle was gone.

* * *

**District 2: Tye Brook**

_Oh, my god. Rose is going to die. No, she won't I'll keep her alive. We have to come home. We HAVE to! She's not going going to die like mom and dad and Lylia!_ The thoughts flew through Tye's head as he sat in the Justice Building alone. He knew he wouldn't get any visitors. No one knew him well enough to care. He didn't have any friends or family left, besides Rose.

He was right. He didn't get any visitors. As the peacekeepers led him out of the Justice Building, his last thoughts were _I have to save Rose._

**District 2: Rose Brook**

Sirenia entered the beautifully furnished room, smiling brightly at Rose. Rose bounced off her seat and ran to hug Sirenia. "I'm gonna go play a game!" Rose said joyfully. "I know! I wish I could play. You have to win, Rose! You and Tye win and buy me a teddy bear, okay?" Sirenia said. "I will win! When we go to your house I win games, I can win this game!" Rose said "And then I'll buy you _three _teddy bears!" She smiled brightly. Sirenia smiled and leaned down to whisper something to her. "You really need to win, though, Rose. Selinia said that if you don't win, you can't come back here!" She told her, fear brimming in her eyes. Rose's green-yellow eyes widened. "Why?" She asked. "I don't know," Sirenia replied. A peacekeeper told the two small girls that it was time for Sirenia to go. "I'll be back soon!" Rose said, calling to her friend as Sirenia was led out the door.

"Okay, bye Rosie!"

* * *

**District 3: Silmarien Andunie**

Silmarien's mother entered the room looking sad. "Please try to come home," her mother said. "Whatever, mom. I can take care of myself." She replied rudely. Her mother pulled her into a hug, although Silmarien was very unwilling. Silmarien sighed and made the best of the situation by pretending to hug her mother back, although in reality she was sticking her hand into her mother's pockets and taking her money. "I love you, honey. Your attitude annoys me sometimes, but I know that you're a good person inside." Silmarien's mom said. _Yeah, as if,_ Silmarien thought. She pretended to put emotion on her face. "I love you too, mom," She lied. Her father did the same thing when he visited, and he unknowingly left with no money also. _They are so stupid, _She thought. She laughed darkly.

Of course, her parents were her only visitors, as she had no friends. She was taken out of the Justice Building and put on the train a few minutes later.

**District 3: Aldarion Andunie**

Aldarion sat on the comfortable chair with a scowl on his face. He wasn't really scared, just annoyed and kind of angry. His father walked in, a sad look on his face. "Hey, Al," he greeted. "Hey, dad," Aldarion said in a tired tone. "Come home, son," His father said softly. "Um, okay. Love you dad. I'll try to come home." The peacekeepers escorted the father out.

Aldarion's mother came in next.

She walked to him quickly and threw her arms around her son. "Come home," she whispered in his ear Aldarion felt her tears soaking his shirt. "I'll try, mom," he said. He almost felt like crying himself. Finally the peacekeepers told his mom it was time to leave. She turned to Aldarion and gave him a feeble, watery smile. "I love you," she mouthed. Then she was gone.

Calion entered next, his shirt bulky with drugs he had smuggled into the building. A peacekeeper turned to him and searched him. Calion sighed. "I tried, didn't I?" he said. Aldarion felt his lip curl into a small smile. "Yeah, you did," he replied. Calion only said one thing to him. "Come home soon, Al-man." He dropped something into Aldarion's hand before exited quickly.

Aldarion looked at the hand. Calion had given him a carved wooden charm. He smiled as he thought two words: _My token._

* * *

**District 4: Kai Maris**

Kai sat on his chair with a scowl on his face. _All I had to do was get through this year! Why, why does the universe hate me so much?!_ He thought. Then his mom entered. "Oh, Kai. I know you can win. I know you can help Genevieve win. Please come home, sweetie." She said sadly. Kai's scowl softened. "I'll try, mom," he said. He pulled her into a hug. "Do you have the necklace?" She asked. "I do," Kai smiled. His father had given him a shark tooth necklace before... the accident. "I love you, Kai. Come home soon and I'll make you your favorite-shark stew." Kai smiled at the thought of the delicious, melt-in-your mouth shark meat his mother was capable of making. "I'll see you soon, mom," he said as they pulled away from the hug. "I love you." "I love you too, Kai," She said. She hugged him tightly, one last time before she left.

The next two visitors were Wade and Victoria. "You know you're probably going to die, right?" Victoria asked flatly. Kai rolled his eyes at the comment. "Thanks for the support," he answered sarcastically. "Guys, please make sure my mom's fine when we're gone," Kai pleaded. "Of course!" Victoria responded, almost shocked that Kai would have to ask the question. The entire time, Wade had been standing to the side. "Hey, Wade. Hello?" Kai waved his hand in front of his friend's face. Wade smiled slightly. "What?" He asked. "Are you going to say bye to me before I come back a murderer?" Kai asked inquisitively. "Bye, dude. Try not to get killed." Then the time was up.

Kai had many friends, which equaled many more visitors. These didn't really matter to him, however, because they weren't as close to him as Victoria and Wade. While They were talking and saying goodbye, Kai was thinking about what he was going to do. He sighed and closed his eyes. He thought about his father. _He died. I can't be like him._

**District 4: Genevieve Maris**

"Hey, Evie," Genevieve's mother greeted quietly. Genevieve heard her sniffle. "Why are you sad, mom?" Genevieve asked confusedly. _Why is momma sad? Why am here? _ she wondered. She asked her mother. "Momma, why are you sad? Why am I here?" She asked. Her mother looked at her. "Eve, you're in the Hunger Games." "What are the Hunger Games?" Genevieve asked. Her mother squeezed her hand. "You are going to go to a big place called the Capitol." The mother answered. "I don't want to go somewhere!" Genevieve said fearfully. She hated change and didn't like to be far from her mother. "I know, Eve. I'm so sorry. Once you are there, people are going to put makeup on you and dress you in pretty clothes. After that, you are going to practice swimming, using swords, knives, and bows and arrows. Stay with Kai the whole time, okay? Then you are going to go into a big place called an arena. People are going to try-to- kill you, but you have to stay with Kai and come home, okay?" Genevieve cocked her head to the side. She did not completely understand death, much less people trying to kill their fellow humans and the Hunger Games. "What is kill, mom?" She asked. "They are going to try to make you dead. Dead is when you cannot breath or talk or eat." She answered. Genevieve held her breath for a minute, trying to see what it would be like to be 'dead'. Her mother smiled. "Come home, Eve." She hugged Genevieve, and let out a sob. She fastened a beautiful seashell bracelet onto Genevieve's wrist. "So you will always have a piece of home with you," she said, looking into Genevieve's questioning eyes.

Then she was gone.

Marina entered next, a stony look on her tan face. She walked quickly to her friend and hugged her tightly. "Marina, I can't breath!" Genevieve exclaimed, pushing Marina away. Marina looked at Genevieve, expressionless. "Genevieve, you have to come back," she said firmly. It didn't sound like a request, but rather a command. "Why wouldn't I?" Genevieve asked, looking at Marina confusedly. Marina looked at her sadly. She closed her eyes as a tear wet her cheek. "Because," Was all she could answer. "Goodbye, Eve. Kai will help you come home." Before Marina could start crying, she left.

Genevieve was all alone, except for Kai.

* * *

**District 5: Greta Bancroft**

Greta was having a half-hearted puppet show with Rory when Kayla entered. "Hi, mommy." She greeted gloomily. Kayla didn't speak. She only cradled her tiny twelve-year old daughter and cried. "Mommy, why couldn't that man choose someone else to go into the Hunger Games?" Greta asked. She was annoyed, confused, angry, scared and everything in between. "It-I don't know, honey," Kayla answered, struggling for a good answer. Kayla was breathing quickly. "Greta, you have to come home. You know what the Hunger Games are, right?" She asked. Greta nodded. "Can I bring my finger puppet? Can Rory come?" Greta asked. Kayla laughed softly. "Of course, Greta." The two girls hugged tightly and cried to each other for the remainder of the visit. There were no words to describe the sadness that filled the room at that moment.

**District 5: Ed Bancroft**

Ed wiped his nosed and sniffled, pulling himself into a tighter ball and crying softly. _ How could they abandon me?_ He thought angrily. He wiped his nose again. The door opened and his mother entered, the tear stains on her cheeks showing that she had been crying. She stood in front of Ed limply for a moment before pulling him into a tight hug, her sobs making them both shake. "I love you, I love you, I love you, come home, come home, I love you both, come home." Kayla repeated over and over. Ed wrapped him arms around him mother's neck, breathing deeply, trying to remember this moment and store it in him mind. He took in everything so that he wasn't surrounded by the gloom of the arena when he was sent in. "I-can come home," he said feebly. "I'm smart. I fix peoples' fuse-boxes. I have my lucky penny. I can get us home, mommy." He sad. he felt childish, but he didn't care. They sat there for what seems like a century.

Then the peacekeeper said that the time was up.

Kayla didn't obey, she just cried harder and hugged Ed tighter. "Time. Is UP." The peacekeeper repeated. In the end, Kayla was pulled away from Ed. He tried to hold on, but the peacekeeper who was pulling him away was too strong. "MOMMA!" He called.

It was too late. Kayla was gone. He was alone._ I'm all alone._

* * *

**District 6: Richie Sauski**

The skin on Richie's cheek was stiff from the tears that had been running down them mere seconds before. The insults that had been aimed at him were still fresh in his mind when Stan entered, looking worried. "Richie?" He said uncertainly. Richie looked up at him from his spot on the chair. "I can win this, dad." Richie said, only half-sure. "Carl has trained me for years. I can win this." Richie was reassuring himself and Stan at the same time. Stan gave him an awkward, one-armed hug. "Come back, Richie." He pleaded. "Carl is gonna be your mentor. If you can get him to cut it out with the morphling, you can win." Richie smiling and suddenly went back to his normal personality. "Of course I can win," he said arrogantly. Stan smiled. "I know you can." Then he was gone.

******District 6: Kimmie Sauski**

Kimmie sat in the velvet chair, expressionless, waiting impatiently for her visitors. Kirby, Jane and Ember came in first. They looked at Kimmie for some emotion as to not say the wrong thing. Kimmie sighed and drummed her fingers on the chair arm impatiently. "So?" She said, breaking the silence. The minions flinched. "What are you flinching for?" Kimmie asked angrily. "Um, we wanted to say congratulations." Kirby piped up. Then they were gone as quickly as they had come.

Kimmie rolled her eyes. _When I win I must find new servants,_ she decided. Her parents entered with sad looks. "Why are you upset, mother?" Kimmie asked. "This is good. I shall win and be dominant!" She explained, smiling. Kimmie's mother hugged her, as did her father. Kimmie felt cold metal around her neck. She looked up at her mother. "It is a gold yin yang necklace. Remember, Kimmie, good and evil always surround you. Make careful decisions, and please come home." Her mother did all the talking, while her father only looked at her. "Be careful, Kimmie. We love you. Also please, don't ally with- Richard." Her father frowned when he said Richie's name. "I can't promise you that, father." Kimmie said flatly. "We will sponsor you," Kimmie's mother told her. "Thank you," Kimmie said. "Goodbye. I love you both. I will return." Kimmie hugged them both and shooed them away. _I will have fun,_ Kimmie thought. Even as she thought it, tears slipped down her cheeks.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah. This repetitive stuff bores me. We'll get to other district goodbyes next. So yeah.  
**


	6. Goodbyes Part Two: I Will Not Die

**A/N: Hello! So, I put a poll up on my profile and would love it if you guys would vote! Thanks!**

**And... I've decided to skip a couple tributes for the goodbyes. They're just getting really repetitive, ya know? And if your tributes aren't in the goodbyes, then they will automatically both be in the train rides. Which are next. Yay!  
**

**Disclaimer: Yoda does not own the Hunger Games and neither do I.**

* * *

**District 7: Rowan Appleby**

Rowan sat upon the chair in the Justice Building, the echo of the rueful smile he had put on at the reaping still etched upon his face. His stomach still ached from the punch Teek had delivered about a quarter of an hour before. He sighed, thinking about what the next couple weeks would be and thought regretfully about all the things he had never done in his life that he would probably never get to do now.

His father came in and looked at Rowan, then looked down awkwardly. Rowan and his father had never been particularly close.  
"Come home, Rowan," he croaked. It looked like he had been crying. Rowan looked at him equally as awkwardly, not knowing what to say. "I'll try. Uh, love you, dad." He forced himself to say the last part, as he didn't really know his father that well. He reflected on this guiltily. His father walked over, hugged him quickly and left.

Next Rowan's mother entered, looking extremely distressed.

"Rowan, I know that you two can come home." His mother said, stressing the sentence.

"I-we'll try, mum. But Teek might end up killing me." Rowan smiled darkly. His mother looked at him, horrified and angry.

"He would never-" She choked. She broke down sobbing. She hugged Rowan around the neck. When she pulled away, she slipped something into Rowan's hand. He looked down at the thing. It was a woven rope necklace. On it was half of a wooden yin yang.

"We're giving Teek the other half. You can both come home. _Please, _ Rowan, you and Teek have to come home." Rowan looked up at his mother and saw the pleading in her eyes. He answered her slowly but strongly. "We'll come home, mom. I promise."

**District 7: Teek Appleby**

When they led Teek into the Justice building, two peacekeepers still restraining him, he pulled away roughly. He cursed after them as they left. He looked around. The walls were painted a soft faded caramel color. There were pictures of the Capitol hung on the wall. The carpet was a deep red. _Like Rowan's blood. I'm going to murder him!_ Teek thought angrily. He walked up to one of the pictures of the the Capitol and without thinking, punched the glass as hard as he could. _It's their fault, too!_ he thought, paying no attention to the blood dripping down his knuckles or the pain it caused. _I hate them all!_ He punched the wall, creating a large hole. Powdery plaster filled the air, causing Teek to cough loudly.

His father and mother entered the room, looking worried.

"Teek?" His mother said carefully. "What?" Teek spat angrily. "Are you okay?"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK? MY BROTHER JUST SENTENCED ME TO MY DEATH. I'M GOING TO DIE AND BECOME A MURDERER BEFORE I DO IT. **I AM NOT OKAY!**" The tears were streaming down Teek's lightly tanned skin now.

"Teek, it's not Rowan's fault. You could have been reaped instead of Rowan. You'd still be in the Hunger Games. You can't fight. You two need to stick together. You have to come home." Teek's father choked at his last words. Teek looked up at his parents and thought about their words. "But I don't want to die," he said meekly. "I don't want either of you to die either," The mother sobbed. they hugged Teek and his father slipped something into his hand. It was a wooden yin yang charm on a thin woven rope chain. The other half of Rowan's, although Teek did not know this at the time. His father looked at him. "You can both come home," he said. "We love you," his mother added. Then they were gone.

Teek sat crying for a few minutes, then he heard the door creek open. He tried to look strong and stop crying, in case it was one of his friends, but found it very difficult in his current situation.

"You have to try to come home, but-you're going to die!" Lindell Graves cried. She ran to her boyfriend of two months and hugged him tightly. Teek looked at his petite, brown-haired girlfriend.

"Lindell, I-I'm gonna-come home." Teek attempted to say these words truthfully, but he felt guilty saying them.

"Teek, you need to get sponsors. Tell jokes, do _something._ When you get into the arena, hide somewhere. Avoid the cornucopia. Remember, learn about plants and survival, not weaponry. You don't have to murder children to get out of this. Oh, what am I saying, you'll be a murderer when you get out of there, if you get out!" Lindell wailed. Teek grabbed her arms and looked at her. "Lindell, I can get out of there. I'll try not to kill, but I can't guarantee _anything._ I love you, Lindell." A peacekeeper told her it was time to go. Lindell kissed Teek on the lips before turning tearfully to leave. "Wait, Lindell! I-" But she was already gone.

Teek's friends Grover Waters and Ash Langdon entered next. "Hey, shortie. Hey ginger," Teek greeted them gloomily by their nicknames. He called Ash shortie because of his short height of only 5'3. Likewise, he called Grover ginger because of his red hair. "Hey, greasy," Grover smirked. Teek raised his eyebrows at his tall, lanky friend. Teek sometimes helped carve chickens at the Fir, thus Grover began teasing him about yet another hobby. "Look who's talking, devil-spawn." Teek teased. The nickname half fit Grover, as he had a knack for trouble and was often just trying to stay out of the Head peacekeeper's hands.

Grover and Teek were very close, as close as brothers. They were more like siblings then Rowan and Teek were.

"Guys, stop. This is very serious." Ash looked at Teek. "The best strategy would be to run as far away from the other tributes as possible. Learn about plants. Make your own weapons out of wood. Sneak poison into people's food. This district wouldn't be the same without you. You have to come back," Ash said seriously.

Teek listened carefully. Ash was the brains of the group and often got the three out of trouble when they stole a sip of beer from the Fir or ran around in the woods at night. You really think that'll work?" Teek asked. "It's the best shot you've got, man," Ash answered. He looked and sounded defeated.

"Time's up," a Peacekeeper told them. "Good luck, Teek." Ash said. "Good luck, bro." Grover said. "Come back soon." With that, they left. Teek sighed and closed his eyes, thinking about the days to come.

* * *

**District 8: Lacy Bradford**

Lacy couldn't breath. She was trying, she really was, but the oxygen wouldn't come. _It's probably because I know me and my sister are going to die,_ she thought, surprisingly calmly for someone who couldn't get their lungs to work. Finally she gasped and breathed in, choking out a sob.

Her father entered, looking very forlorn for his daughter. "Lacy," he whispered. He hugged her and she hugged him back.

"What am I going to do?" She whispered, tears streaming down her tan cheeks.

"Get Karrin to meet you somewhere away from the cornucopia. Try to get a backpack. Something quick, or something small. Make trustworthy allies. Bottom line, _listen to your mentors._ Got it?"

"Yeah, dad. I love you."

"I love you too, Lacy."

They sat hugging each other for the remainder of the visit. Finally a peacekeeper told Lacy's father it was time to leave. Lacy wiped her eyes and blew her nose on a soft tissue from the box beside her. "Goodbye, dad. I love you."

"I love you too. Good luck, Lacy." He left.

A few moments later, she heard the door open. When she looked up, she saw her boyfriend Ostro standing there. "Hey, Os," she greeted quietly. "Hey, Lace," he greeted back, equally as quietly. "I know you can do it," he said in a way that was supposed to be reassuring. "I know I just-" Lacy broke off and began crying again. Ostro walked to her and hugged her with his muscular arms.

They didn't know how long they had stayed like that, only that when the Peacekeeper told them that their time was up, it felt like glue was holding them together. A Peacekeeper had to pull Lacy off Ostro in the end and tear the two apart.

Brandy and Janie came in next. They tried reassuring Lacy. They hugged her and wished her good luck, then they left.

* * *

**District 9: Vivian Aldjoy  
**

Vivian sat in the chair in shock. _Rye. Dead. Not alive. Oh, god. Oh my god, I hate them! _The tears ran wet down her cheeks, into Vivian's mouth, hot and salty. Her parents walked into the room, but not before Beth launched herself into her sister's arms, sobbing. Vivian's teary father mouthed _we covered her eyes._ _ She doesn't know that Rye is dead,_ Vivian realized. This made Vivian even more upset.

"You have to win, Vivee!" She cried. Vivian felt like her neck was going to break with the might in which Beth used to hug her. Her parents were fully in the room now, side by side. Her father was crying softly; Vivian could tell by the way his body was shaking.

"Dad, I-I'm going to come home," Vivian said as surely as she could. "You-oh, Vivian!" Her mother sobbed. She ran toward her daughter, pulling her into a tight, watery hug. "Mom, I-we can do this. And you know that we'll try as hard as we can not to kill anyone," Vivian said. "But Rye!" Her mother cried. This brought fresh tears to Vivian's eyes. Her father hugged her mother, who was hugging Vivian. It was quite a large group hug, Beth, their mother and father, and Vivian.

"Vivee? Can you take this as your token?" Beth asked. She held up a piece of string with a couple random beads on it. _Where did she get those beads from?_ Vivian wondered. She took the 'bracelet' and smiled at Beth. "Yes, Bethy. This can be my token." Then Vivian realized something. She looked down at her ankle and sure enough, the knitted anklet that Rosealie had made was still there.

Rosealie had created it when she had gotten stray pieces of material. She loved to create things, and had created small knitted anklets for each of the triplets. _I'll just attach the 'bracelet'_ _to the anklet,_ she decided.

"I love you guys so much," she whispered. "We love you too," they whispered. "Time's up," a Peacekeeper announced. "Just a few more minutes," Vivian's mother pleaded. "No. Your time is up. Leave." The Peacekeeper answered harshly. "No!" Beth cried. "Vivian, we have to tell you that-" her mother began. It was too late. A peacekeeper had already restrained Vivian's family and brought them outside.

* * *

**District 10: Jezzabelle "Jezzy" Litlock**

_Nononononono_ Jezzy thought. She contorted her face into what was supposed to be a look of fear, though instead one might think that she was joyful. Marta and Kindle entered. Marta was in shock, Kindle looked very excited.

"Are you gonna go play a game, Jezzy?" He asked. Jezzy sighed shakily.

"Going I'm to play go yes game, Kindle," she said.

"Yay!" Kindle exclaimed. He hugged Jezzy. Jezzy tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

"Kindle, honey, please come here." Marta told her son. Kindle jumped off Jezzy and over to his red-haired mother. Marta's light brown eyes met with Jezzy's emerald ones.

"I thought you would want this as your token, Jezzy," she said. she opened her hand to reveal a beautiful wedding ring. "Wedding mom's ring," Jezzy gasped. She took the ring and slipped it on to her ring finger. she smiled (grimaced) at Marta, who was beginning to cry.

"You thank," Jezzy thanked her. She hugged her sister-in-law.

"I know you can come home, Jezzy. You're smart. You know how to use a cattle-prod. You're small, so you'll be able to get to food easily." They both laughed softly at this. It was true that Jezzy was small, only four foot eleven at her age of fifteen. "Marta you, thank," Jezzy said, looking into Marta's eyes.

"Love both you I," she said. "We love you too," Marta said. "I wuv you, Jezzy!" Kindle smiled at her with his big brown eyes. "Can we go now, momma?" Kindle asked. "One minute, Kindle. If you want, you can wait outside." Kindle ran outside to wait. "Good luck, Jezzy. We love you," Marta whispered. "You, thank Marta. You love, I."

**District 10: Itzel Litlock**

Itzel buried his face in his large hands._ What are we going to do? _He wondered. "Hey, Itz," He heard a deep voice say. He jumped. "Pepper, you scared me!" he said, annoyed. The man in front of him had salt-and-pepper hair, which is how he had gotten his nickname. He had muscular arms, too, from working alongside Itzel, herding the livestock.

Pepper and Itzel would sometimes play jokes on the other workers that were rude or mean. This earned them many glares from the other workers during the day. "What am I going to do?" Itzel wondered aloud. "Please, Pepper. Make sure Kindle and Marta are okay while I'm gone."

"Of course, Itzel," Pepper said seriously. "Thanks." Itzel smiled sadly. "You can get out of there, Itzel. I know you can. Good luck." "Thanks, Pepper."

They stood in silence until the peacekeepers told Pepper it was time to leave. "Good luck, man," Pepper said. He shook Itzel's hand and left.

Marta and Kindle entered, Kindle looking happy. "Daddy, you's gonna go play a game with Jezzy!" He smiled widely. Tears leaked out of the corner of Itzel's eyes. _He doesn't know,_ he thought. Itzel hugged his son and lifted him onto his lap.

Kindle climbed down and handed him a bracelet woven out of what looked like horses' oats.

"I made it," Kindle announced proudly. Itzel smiled.

"Thank you, Kindle," he whispered as more tears made a path down his cheeks.

"Why you sad, daddy?" Kindle asked curiously. "Be-because I have to leave you and mommy to play the-game" Itzel had to force the word 'game' out of his mouth. _some game,_ he thought bitterly.

"Oh," Kindle thought about this for a moment. He then happily skipped outside. Itzel looked at his wife. She walked towards him to hug him. Itzel pulled her in and kissed her gently on the lips.

"You have to come home," Marta whispered. Itzel realized by the way her body was shaking that she was crying. Her tears soaked his shirt.

"I will. Marta, I-I'm so scared," Itzel choked out. He began crying. He felt like a child, but he couldn't stop. "I have to come home." The stay there, hugging each other and whispering for what seemed like forever.

"Time's up!" A Peacekeeper announced. "I love you so much, honey. You're so beautiful. You're so funny, and so kind. Take care of yourself and Kindle. I love you. I'll see you soon. I love you, baby." "I love you too, Itzel," Marta cried pitifully. They hugged one last time before Marta forced herself to leave.

"I have to come home," Itzel whispered to himself.

* * *

**District 11: Damien George Sinclair**

Damien sat in his comfortable chair, smirking. _I'm going to win, my dear sister will die. This is going to be fun._

_ When I win, I'll have all sorts of servants._ He thought. Just then, Quint entered with a rather large (ahem. HUGE) smile on his face. He towed behind him most of the gang. Everyone was silent except for Quint.

"You're gonna win for us, right, Damien?" He said. It wasn't really a question, really more of a command.

"Uh, _yeah._" Damien said, thinking that the answer was obvious. Quint raised his eyebrows at him and scowled. "And you know what I'm going to do when I win?" Damien's face was two inches away from Quint's.

"I'm going to take over the gang. And you'll be in prison," He spat. Quint's closed fist was coming towards him at the speed of a bullet, but Damien was ahead of him. He ducked and walked quickly to a Peacekeeper. "Hey, that guy just tried to throw a punch at me. I don't even know him!" Damien lied. He turned and smiled at Quint. The Peacekeepers restrained Quint and the rest of the gang left, some congratulating Damien before they walked out.

Dante entered. His face was part afraid, part happy and part confused.

"What did you do to Quint?" He asked.

"Ah, he'll probably tell you." Damien smirked and reclined the chair he had sat on and stretched out. Dante decided to drop the subject.

So, are you going to kill Talia?" He asked. "Maybe," Damien replied, looking thoughtful. Dante looked at him seriously. "What if you don't win?" He asked. Damien narrowed his eyes at him "Do you really doubt me?" He asked. "No, it's just-come on, Damien. You're my twin. I don't want to lose you." Dante looked into his brother's emerald eyes.

Damien changed the subject. "So when I'm gone, you're still going to looking for our baby sister, right?" He asked. "Wha-yeah! Quint won't let me stop!" They'd been looking for Maya since Talia had run off with the infant. "Alright, so, see you in a few weeks?" Damien asked.

"See you in a few weeks."

* * *

**A/N: So, as I said before, if one or both of your tributes didn't appear in this chapter, they will automatically both be in the train rides. Which are next. Yay!**

**P.S, I made a blog! Check it out and tell me what I should post on it and if you like it!**

**This is the link, delete the spaces:**

** hg fanfics by hungergameslover10210 . blogspot **


	7. Trainrides

**A/N: Hello! I know I have District Twelve watching some of the reapings, but I think I might do a chapter with everyone watching the reaping. Or maybe not. I'm still deciding. R & R!  
**

**Disclaimer: I think we've been over this. I DON'T OWN HG!**

* * *

District 12

Oriana rested her elbow on the edge of the table and picked at the delicious-looking food on her plate. She would love to taste it, but she knew that if she tried it would immediately come back up.

"So, guys, are you excited!? I know I am! I'm so excited! I can't wait until the interviews, those are my favorite part! I love, love LOVE the costumes and interviews!" Pinky giggled.

Oriana looked down at her beef stew gloomily. She sneaked a peek at Astra, who was scowling at their cheerful escort. She looked at the escort, who was still going on excitedly about the Capitol and the Hunger Games. _She must have been hurt at an early age, and she acts happy and peppy to pretend she hasn't been, _Oriana thought. She was very good at reading people and was usually right.

After dinner, the three girls (District Twelve hadn't had any victors since Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark) went into a different cart to watch the reapings. Oriana's eyes began to get teary when the District Two reapings came on and a small five-year-old bounced happily onto the stage. Oriana hugged her twin.

"That poor little girl," Astra whispered, tears brimming in her dark green eyes.

"And she'll have to die for us to come home," Oriana whispered, a small sob escaping from her lips. Pinky didn't hear, this, as she was too busy talking to Astra and Oriana, though the two were not listening.

"Omigosh, the Hunger Games are awesome!" Pinky squealed. "I'd kill to be in them!" This got both the twins' attention.

"Really?" Oriana said quietly. "You'd kill to be in our place?"

"Well, yeah! I'd get to be famous and rich if I won!"

"And if you didn't? You realize in a few weeks twenty-two or even twenty-three children will unnecessarily die? One of them is a five year old. Would you really love to slowly starve? Or maybe be tortured by a career? For the next few weeks, that is going to be our life."

Oriana hadn't spoken that much since she had been beaten by a Seam gang. Since then, she had been transformed into the shy, quiet twin. It would have been hard for her to keep her mouth shut just then, however. _How can these people be so naive?_ Oriana wondered. Pinky was sobbing loudly now. "HOW COULD YOU BE SO MEAN?" She yelled, sobbing as she ran into her room.

Astra stared at her sister in shock. Not that she had made the escort cry, because if Oriana hadn't said it, Astra would have. It was more the fact that her sister had just spoken more than fifty words in under five minutes. Oriana sighed.

"The author just made me completely OOC, didn't she?" "Yeah." Astra said. She sighed again. "Now how do we stay alive?"

* * *

District 9

Rosealie flopped onto her lavender-stuffed bed. She closed her eyes and laid her head on a feather pillow.

"Oh my god," she said. The tears began to flow. _I just got out of the shower,_ She thought._ I'm not going to be able to wash away the tear stains._ Yet even as she thought this, the salty water ran down her cheeks, afterwards running down her neck.

She hugged her pillow and nearly fell asleep, but that was made impossible because her escort opened the door, announcing fairly loudly that it was "time for dinner, girlfriend!" Rosealie lifted her head and groaned, glaring at the escort.

"What're ya lookin' at me like that for, girlfriend? Let's go put some food in our stomachs, then we can WTR!"

Rosealie looked at her blankly.

"Watch the reapings!" the Capitol woman explained. _Oh,_ Rosealie thought. She rolled out of bed and dressed in a purple blouse and denim shorts. The wardrobe had generated the outfit for her.

Rosealie took her time, then made her way into the bathroom to attempt to wash away the tear stains.

When she was finished, she made her way to the dining cart and took a seat next to Vivian. The only other people at the table were the escort and two women. Tristis Puella won the One hundred and twentieth games when she was twelve and had been depressed ever since, while Lymphante Mulieres had won the one hundred and eleventh games.

Lymphante had gone insane in the final five and had tortured the last three tributes. After they were dead, Lymphante chopped them to pieces with a machete. Wondrously, the Capitol hadn't disposed of the woman, who was now thirty-two and no less insane.

Lyphante stared at Vivian with a large, creepy grin on her face. Her black eyes stared into Vivian's bright blue ones. "I'm your mentor. You're going to die." Lyphante giggled.

Tristis looked up. "We will try to get you out alive. At least I will. Don't listen to that crazy bitch."

"Okaaaaay," Rosealie responded, looking creeped out. Lyphante was still staring at Vivian.

"You're ugly. The ugly ones always die. I hope you die." Lyphante giggled again. That was the last straw for Rosealie.

"_How dare you!_" She screamed, lunging across the table. She clawed at Lyphante's shocked face while Vivian desperately tried to pulled her back. She succeeded, but it didn't stop Rosealie's voice. "You're supposed to be keeping us alive, you bitch! Stop smiling like that and help us stay alive!"

Lyphante put that smile back on.

"No." She said simply. Rosealie lunged again, this time drawing blood on Lyphante's left cheek. Lyphante screamed and jumped across the table, smearing gravy and hot sauce all over her clothes. At this point two peacekeeper rushed over and restrained the victor.

Rosealie and Lyphante were brought to their respective rooms, Vivian following Rosealie to her's. The tributes were told that they would watch the reapings the next day and to get some sleep in the meantime.

* * *

District 1

Aphrodite stepped out of the bedroom cart wearing a new light blue sweater and black yoga pants. She met Vic in front of his room and together they walked to the dining cart. They took a seat in front of their mentors, a pretty young woman who could be no more than eighteen and a gray-haired man who looked to be about forty.

"Greetings, inferior. I am Ferro Rete, victor of the 98th Hunger Games." The gray-haired man said in a superior tone. Ferro's hair had only gotten grayer since his Hunger Games.

"Yeah, whatever. Tell us how to win." Aphrodite sneered.

"Perhaps you will be worthy of my wise words when you have won the Hunger Games. Until then, Ta-ta." Ferro stood to leave the room. Suddenly, Aphrodite took a running leap at Ferro, but he was too quick.

At the last minute, he stepped out of the way and jumped onto Aphrodite, restraining her. He held a steak knife to her throat.

"You wouldn't dare," Aphrodite growled, yet the fear was still evident in her voice

"If you have watched the 98th games, then you know that, without hesitating, I killed my own mistress to win. Don't be so sure I won't do the same to you." Ferro hissed. He stood up and walked past the stunned District 1 girl, making his way to his room.

Vic looked at his sister, concerned. He walked to her side. "Are you okay, Aphrodite?" "Yeah," she answered, still stunned. They walked back to their place at the table and finished their dinner in silence.

* * *

District 11

"Alright, so as long as your cast stays on, your arm should be healed in about six weeks," The doctor explained as she stepped away from Talia's cast. Talia had insisted on the doctor being a woman, as she was terrified of men.

The doctor left and Talia decided to have dinner in her bedroom cart. As she was finishing up with her meal, something the chefs called 'pizza' and 'salad', she heard a knock at the door. She walked over, peeking out her peephole. There stood her mentor, Amata.

"Talia, honey, are you alright?" She asked concernedly, looking into Talia's blue-gray eyes with concern.

"No, I'm not," Talia answered. The tears were making a reappearance on her olive-colored cheeks. "Amata, I have to tell you something about Damien-"

Another knock interrupted Talia. Before she could protest, Amata answered the door. There stood Damien, with a look of what Talia knew was fake concern plastered on his face. "Yes, Damien?" Amata said politely.

"I just wanted to see if Talia was okay, and I wanted to talk to her." Damien said. Talia thought that he looked pretty believable.

"Oh, that's fine." Amata smiled, then turned to Talia. "You can tell me about Damien later, honey." Amata walked out the door. Damien didn't let the smile leave his face until neither him nor Talia could hear her anymore.

He turned to her with an angry look on his face. He grabbed her broken arm roughly, forcing her to stand up. Talia looked up at him in horror and began to scream, but Damien was too quick and covered her mouth.

"You were going to tell her what happened to mom and dad, weren't you, you little brat? Don't tell anyone what happened," he hissed, bringing his mouth so close to Talia's ear that she could feel his hot breath.

"Because if you do, your death will be more painful than I will already make it."

* * *

District 8

Karrin stepped out of the shower, still stunned at the number of buttons she had just been in front of and used. She smelled strongly of roses and vanilla, having used the soap and shampoo. As she finished pulling a shirt over her head, she heard the door creak open.

Suddenly she was engulfed in a hug. Lacy kissed her cheek. Karrin knew that Lacy wasn't crying only because she thought she needed to stay strong for her. "Lacy, we can win this." Karrin said in a voice that was trying to be strong.

Back at home, She never would have cried. But now, knowing that she would probably be dead in a matter of days, it was impossible not to let her tears flow. She soaked Lacy's new teal shirt and couldn't stop.

"We _are_ getting out of here alive, Lacy," Karrin said fiercely, pulling away from Lacy and looking her in the eye. Lacy sighed. "How?" She whispered. "I don't know, but we will. I'm not going to die." Karrin looked angry now.

"Karrin, we need to eat. There might not be much food in the arena," Lacy said after a few minutes. Karrin breathed and scowled. "Fine," she answered. She followed Lacy to the dining cart and they began to eat.

* * *

District 3

"Soooooo... Are you guys going to ask us how you're going to get out of the arena alive?" Silmarien's mentor Jennilla asked awkwardly, looking up from her food and at the faces of the District three teenagers.

"..."

"'Cause we could give you some advice."

"..."

"So... do you guys _want_ to die?"

"I want _him_ to die." Silmarien said. Aldarion probably would have said the same thing about his sister, but he had fallen asleep in his chair.

"Ummmmmmmmmmmm..."

Aldarion's mentor, Franisez, looked at Silmarien strangely, then turned his head to Jennilla. "I don't think we can save these two." Jennilla nodded sadly.

Silmarien grinned evilly at the mentors. "Why are you looking at us like that?" Franisez asked. "Oh, no reason." She said innocently. They continued the meal silently.

Suddenly, Franisez felt something soggy lauch into his hair. He closed his eyes and reached up to pick the thing out. It was a piece of bread, completely soaked in chicken broth. Silmarien had launched two of the same things at everyone at the table.

The soggy bread in his hair had woken ALdarion up. He glared at his sister. _Evil little bitch._

* * *

**A/N: So yeah.  
**

**If you don't know who Ferro Rete is, I strongly suggest you read androidilenya's "The 98th Hunger Games: Glass Maze". Although I strongly suggest so anyways. Because Ferro is pretty cool.**

**Do you think that I should do a chapter about everyone watching the reapings?**


	8. Train Dreams

**A/N: So, this is basically to get to know the tributes better. Each dream mostly reflects on the tributes' future and greatest fears. ANd then there's the gamemakers. It took 8 chapters, but I'm finally talking about the gamemakers. Because I'm consistent and on time and stuff :P  
**

**How I'm going to write this:**

_Regular dreams, **tributes' thoughts** **in** **dreams, **_Outside of dream, _thoughts outside of dreams._

**R & R!**

**Disclaimer:** I have never, nor ever will, own the Hunger Games.

* * *

District 1  


_Five-year-old Aphrodite ran to her mother, attempting to show her a picture she had made. The picture was of her standing next to her heavily pregnant mother and her father. Her mother shooed her away and pointed at the cell phone that she was talking rapidly into. A dejected Aphrodite ran outside and began to cry._

_It was the next day now, and when Aphrodite woke up there was a packed suitcase at the end of her bed. **What's this for?** The small girl wondered. SHe rushed out to her parents to ask. In the living room, a computer was set up._

_ Since Aphrodite's reading and writing was not yet perfect, sometimes her parents would type a message. Later, Aphrodite would click a button and the computer would relay the message to her.  
_

_"You are go-ing to the train-ing ac-ad-em-y to-day." The computer said in a mechanical voice. Aphrodite smiled joyfully at the thought of visiting the academy. She had wanted to go there ever since her mother had told her a story about it when she was four._

_Now Aphrodite was at the academy, but it didn't look anything like what Aphrodite had imagined _(or what it looked like in real life)_. It looked like a haunted house from the storybook at school. _

_Suddenly, Aphrodite's parents disappeared in a poof of smoke. Aphrodite felt like she was being pulled towards the front door. She tried to scream, but she couldn't. The doors opened, and a vampire looked at Aphrodite menacingly. _

_It stuck it's tongue out. The tongue looked like a snake tongue. It grabbed at Aphrodite. She began to run. It picked something up off of the ground and came after Aphrodite. mist surrounded the small girl, and she began to cry. _

_It came through the mist, closer to Aphrodite. Suddenly, Five year old Amber, Ash and Destiny were next to Aphrodite. "I'm sorry," She whispered._

_It came closer. It forced her mouth open, and began to put the thing it found on the ground in her mouth. **It's holding evil,** she realized. Suddenly, Aphrodite saw a baby crawl into the scene. _

_"Vic, help!" She pleaded. Suddenly the baby turned sickly pale and dropped on the ground, dead. _

_"No! Vic!" The words seemed to echo off the walls. It forced the evil into her mouth and pinched her nose, forcing her to swallow. Aphrodite closed her eyes. When they opened, they swam with evil._

Aphrodite screamed.

Travel down the hall and in a room much like Aphrodite's, Vic was laying in his bed, only half asleep. He groaned in his half-awake state, tossing and turning, drifting in and out of his dreams.

_Vic was in a sterile-looking white room with no visible exit. Suddenly a doctor was standing in front of him, holding a very long syringe filled with a neon-green liquid. Vic widened his eyes and tried to run, but his feet were glued to the floor. Suddenly Sparkle jumped in front of him, shielding her best friend from the doctor. _

_"Sparkle, don't!" Vic pushed her out of the way, put to his horror she fell to the ground and hit her head. Suddenly her entire head was bright red.  
_

_Now Vic was in a different room; his bedroom. The door opened and Aphrodite rushed toward him, crying. _

_"I'm so bratty," she sobbed. Vic hugged her. _

_"No, you aren't. It's not your fault," he said softly. _

_"You're right-IT'S YOURS." Suddenly Aphrodite wasn't talking, she was growling like a mutation. She transformed into the doctor from earlier. The doctor had evil, red eyes. He grabbed Vic's arm and forced the needle into Vic's arm. He cried out at the pain. _

_"Nooo!" The words bounced off of the wall. Now Vic was shrinking...getting smaller...and smaller..._

_Then he was nothing._

* * *

District 2_  
_

_Tye was standing in front of his house. Something was wrong, very, very wrong. He started running, though he didn't know where he was going. Yet one always gets where they are supposed to be in a dream, right? _

_He ran towards the Justice building and saw his mother and father making a speech in front of it. He rushed to the stage, but when he got there, they were gone. _

_"Mom! Dad!" He realized he was holding Rose, his baby sister. He ran inside the Justice Building, but the peacekeepers restrained him. Suddenly the Justice Building was just a flame. A peacekeeper grabbed baby Rose out of Tye's arms and threw her into the fire. "ROSE!" Tye ran into the flame._

_It engulfed him._

Rose was the only tribute not having a bad dream. She lay sprawled out on her bed, hugging her stuffed unicorn tightly. The blankets were twisted about, and the five year old smiled in her sleep.

_Rose was sitting on a giant marshmallow. She grinned as she turned her head towards her teddy bear. "Teddy, you're funny!" She exclaimed. Teddy smiled. "Here, eat a cupcake!" He said. Rose bit into the chocolatey mini cake. "Yum!"_

* * *

District 3_  
_

Silmarien closed her eyes. She had watched the reapings not three hours before and was trying to figure out her strategy, who to kill and how to kill them. _District 1 both look like dumbasses,_ she thought, smirking into the darkness. _But 4 looks easy to kill. So does 8._ She drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Aldarion wasn't having a problem sleeping

_He was standing in an dirty ally. "Mom? Calion?" He called. Suddenly Calion appeared with a mocking look on his face that Aldarion couldn't remember his friend ever doing. _

_"Hey, Cal? What's up, man?" He said nervously. _

_"I'm doing drugs. Time for you to do drugs." Calion forced the pharmaca into Aldarion's mouth. _

_"What the-?" _

_Everything went black._

* * *

District 4

Kai tossed and turned, groaning in his dream state. Tears drifted down his cheeks as his dream brought back the painful memory.

_Kai was in a boat, but something was horribly wrong. He looked at his arms and shoes. **I'm dad,** he realized. A feeling of dread coursed through his body as a dark shape surfaced the water. Kai could just make out a fin. He walked to the side of the boat._

_Invisible arms shoved him in._

_He opened his eyes. The water was murky and gray. He tried the scream, to called for help, to do anything, but water choked him when he opened his mouth. The shark came closer and circled around him numerous times. It stopped. To his horror, the shark slowly swam towards Kai. Kai felt it tear at his arms, shredding him into tiny parts._

_Kai screamed and awoke. He sat straight up, drenched in sweat. He peered down at the floor.  
_

_The floor had transformed into the sea. Kai yelled as the bed disappeared and he sank deeper into the murk. The shark was swimming towards him. _

_It opened it's jaws._

_Kai reached and touched his cheek._

_his hand was red._

_His face was gone._

"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"

* * *

District 5  


_Ed was fixing a fusebox, as he had done many times to get extra money for food for Greta and Kayla._ _He put some wires together and worked his magic. When he was done he smiled at he work. He got up and walked towards the house that belonged to the mayor. _

_"Seven dollars, please." "_

_No," The mayor growled. Suddenly he lashed out with a whip. _

_"You are my slave now!"_

_The scene changed. Now Ed was plowing in a large field. He looked up and saw Greta and Kayla being killed, but he felt no emotion._

Ed screamed. "No!"

* * *

District 6

_Richie rushed down the hall, aiming his eyes towards the floor. _

_"Hey, almond eyes!" A boy called out. Him and his friends erupted into a chorus of laughter. It didn't matter how much he tried to prevent them, the tears rolled down his cheeks slowly but surely. _

_"Hey, FOREIGNER! Go back to where you came from!" A younger girl named Ember called. Richie rushed to the classroom.  
_

_The scene changed. He walked into the girls' bathroom. Only one girl was inside. It was Ember. She tried to scream, but Richie covered her mouth before she had the chance to._

_Without thinking, Richie clasped his hands around her throat. Her eyes bulged, and became watery. "Please-" She whispered. Her eyes rolled up into her head. Richie let the unconcious girl fall to the floor, horrified at what he had done. Angry teachers filed into the room and began to throw things at him._

_Now Richie was laying against a train, crying his heart out. His family had disowned him. He loved his parents. They couldn't disown him! Then there was Kimmie...What was going to happen to her? He had also been sentenced to hard labor because of what the mayor called 'attempted murder'.  
_

_What was going to happen to him?_

_Two years later, later, Richie had landed himself a decent job working with cars. The owner, Stan, was very nice and Richie now considered him his fatherly figure._

But what about Kimmie?

_Kimmie smirked as her new followers bowed at her command._

_ "You're a monster," Kirby said shakily. Kimmie made an odd-sounding call. Kirby was swept away by a twister. Janie and Ember screamed. All of a sudden, Ember's head fell off. "Thank you, Richie! She was inferior." Kimmie smiled.  
_

**_Richie! Come__ home._**

_They were all inferior. Except for her and Richie._

_Especially her parents. What equal would threaten her if she tried to contact her own flesh and blood? Did that matter?_

_Of course not._

* * *

District 7

_Teek brought the cleaver down on the chicken, causing the leg to part with the body. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, receiving dirty looks from those who were eating chicken soup._

_All of a sudden Rowan barged in. "I got us a job," he said._

_Teek paled and dropped to his knees._

_"Noooooo!" He shrieked, waving his fists at the heavens. Rowan grabbed his arms and dragged his brother to the lumberyard. He handed Teek an axe, which he dropped on Rowan's foot. Rowan screamed. Teek smiled. _

* * *

District 8

_Lacy was running towards the factory. **I have to get to mom.** she thought. She walked inside ans saw her mom standing there. "Mom, we need to get out of here. Now!" SHe yelled, pulling on her mom's arm. She looked at Lacy annoyedly. _

_"What arm you doing, Lacy? We need food!" _

_"Mom, the factory is going to explode! We need to get out!" Lacy ran turned and watched as the factory went up in flames. Lacy's mother screamed.  
_

_"MOM!"_

Lacy cried in her sleep. The door creaking open woke her up. Karrin appeared, looking sleepy.

"Are you okay, Lacy?"

"I had a dream about mom," Lacy replied, her voice shaking. Karrin climbed into Lacy's bed and hugged her. "How are we going to make it out of this, Karrin?" She sighed defeatedly.

"Mom would want us to win."

* * *

District 9

_Rosealie was running, running after the peacekeepers who had shot Rye. _

_"Get back here, assholes!" She screamed, launching herself at them. She somehow flew through the air, literally, and landed on top of one, clawing at his face. She felt herself being pulled off of the peacekeeper and realized that she was in front of the crowd from earlier in the day. _

_She was brought on the stage with rope tying her hands behind her back. She felt metal being jammed against the forehead. "Goodnight," a peacekeeper muttered.  
_

_The bullet fired, but Rosealie did not fall. She turned her head and watched as the peacekeepers shot themselves and everyone else._

_President Coin appeared in front of Rosealie. _

_"You are going into the games, now." She said smiling. She grabbed Rosealie's arm. _

_Now they were standing in a forest. _

_"Goodbye," Coin said, waving as she disappeared._

_Rosealie realized that she was in the Hunger Games. She looked around. The was a river, trees (of course) and... her own house! Rosealie ran inside. Beth stood there, but it wasn't the Beth Rosealie knew. Beth raised a knife that Rosealie hadn't noticed the six year old holding. She turned to run._

_The knife hit her back. Rosealie fell._

Rosealie sat straight up in bed.

_They killed him. They will kill us._

* * *

District 10  


_Itzel laughed along with Pepper as a fellow cow herder, known for being particularly grumpy stepped on a contraption Pepper had called a 'whoopee cushion'. The cow herder blushed, half angry and half embarrassed as the cushion made sound of passing gas. He immediately ran to Itzel and Pepper and began screaming at them. _

_"Whoa, Stu! It was just a joke!" Itzel said as Stu pushed him into the mud. "Yeah, go herd the beef, Stu!" Pepper shouted before bursting into laughter again. He closed his eyes and giggled. When he opened them again, they were a deep pitch black. He swung a whip at Itzel. _

_"Pepper! Hey, stop! Stop!" The whip hit him numerous times before he felt himself being dragged somewhere. As much as he tried, he couldn't open his eyes. Suddenly he felt himself falling. He was falling. He felt like he had been falling for eternity. He heard Jezzy's screams in the distance._

_"Jezzy!? What's wrong?!" He called._

Itzel jolted awake, but still heard Jezzy's crying from the other room. He walked to her room and hugged her, though he couldn't tell what she had been dreaming moments before...

_Jezzabelle was floating in space. Where to or why she did not know. All her focus was on the constellations and planets. It seemed very cold here, and she felt like she couldn't breath. **Maybe this is the arena,** she thought. **Maybe it's space.**  
_

_A sword flew towards her. It hit her in the stomach, though she felt no pain. _

_"Do that don't!" She cried, pulling the sword out.  
_

_She space-swam towards the moon. Upon landing there, she realized she was wearing an astronaut suit, like the Capitol astronauts that had visited her school when she was young. _

_She planted a flag with the letters JL into the ground, JL being her initials. She looked out into the black hole that was the distance and saw Kindle and Marta floating aimlessly._

_"Marta? Kindle?" She called. They suddenly transformed in sharp-toothed monsters and began floating towards Jezzabelle._

_ "Not Kindle you Marta and are!" She shouted. She noticed a cattle prod nearby and grabbed it quickly, waving it at the monsters. As the electricity-charged metal pole hit each of them, the green-eyed creatures fell._

_ "Kindle! Marta!" Itzel, Help!" Jezzy cried, dropping to her knees. _

Jezzy cried in her sleep, but soon felt Itzel's strong arms hugging her. "Shhhh. It's okay, Jezzy." He murmured. Jezzy let her eyes droop shut, falling back asleep to the gentle rocking of the train in her big brother's arms.

* * *

District 11

_Talia fell to the ground, the man the other gang members called Quint towering over her. She screamed as he delivered a punch to her face, his fist coming away red. He kicked her side, which would later be bruised. Damien walked over, smirking. He smacked her cheek and pulled her to her feet. _

_"Kill her," he told Quint. _

_"No-please!" Talia screamed, her cheeks wet with blood and tears. Quint punched her face repeatedly. When he finally pulled away, Talia gingerly touched her nose. The gang laughed. Her nose was flat. She looked toward the ground beside her, where her parents laid dead. They had been killed just moments before._

Talia whimpered in her sleep, flailing.

_She looked up at Dante. She thought she spotted a hint of regret and sadness, but the emotion quickly disappeared. She looked toward Damien._

_His face was hard as he delivered the blow that caused Talia to black out._

_It was the next night. Talia quietly crept down the hall, holding baby Maya. Maya whimpered. _

_"Shhhh.." Talia murmured worriedly. "She can't grow up here," she muttered into the darkness. _

_She stepped outside into the cool autumn air, running as fast as she could to Iris's house. She knocked three times._

_ "Risa!" She whispered urgently. The door opened._

_Damien stood there._

Talia jolted awake and cried. She had never had a brother that would walk into the bedroom to comfort her. They had killed her parents just two years ago. Only Hazel and Iris had known where she was for the past two years. And what about Maya?

_Maya, are you okay? Please, Iris. Take care of my baby sister._

Damien lay a few rooms away, dreaming about something very similar.

_Ten-year-old Damien ran beside Dante. They had just been sworn in by the-their-local gang and were starting off as errand boys. They had been sent to steal bread from the bakery. When they arrived at the front, the twins entered. Oddly enough, the baker smiling down at them as he handing them two loaves of bread.  
_

_"For Quint?" He asked in his deep voice. Dante and Damien nodded and ran without uttering a word. They got back to the headquarters and gave everyone a piece of bread. Even more oddly, Quint smiled at them. _

_"You aren't errand boys. You are real members of the gang, now." He said. Damien looked down to find that he was wearing a white martial arts outfit. _

_"Your first mission will be this." Quint said. He handed Dante and Damien a knife each. Damien looked at a wall and noticed his parents standing there._

_"How could you?" His mother sobbed. Damien walked over to his mother and wordlessly, emotionless, took the life from the two people who had given it to him._

* * *

District 12

_A boy pushed Oriana to the ground and jumped on top of her, knocking the oxygen from her lungs. **They're monsters,** she thought as he repeatedly delivered punches to her face. The seam gang stared at her with cold eyes as each took a turn bloodying her. _

_When she looked at her arms, they were bright red. Not a blood red, but a fake, plastic-y red.  
_

_"Oriana!" Astra screamed. Another Seam gang member covered the girls' mouths and yanked her hair backward, forcing her to watch her sister being beaten to a pulp._

_"Astra, help..." Oriana whispered. "Make them stop." Then her vocal cords wouldn't work. As much as she tried, it seemed impossible to speak. The gang continued to kick, punch and slap Oriana. One boy raked his dirty fingernails down Oriana's leg, causing blood to flow freely from it._

_"Astra..."_

"Oriana? Are you okay?" Oriana felt Astra shaking her by the shoulders. Oriana's eyelids fluttered awake and she realized that tears were leaking from the corners of her eyes.

"The dream again? Astra asked knowingly. Oriana nodded and hugged her sister tightly, crying into her shoulder while her sister soothed her.

"What about you?" Oriana asked shakily.

"Yeah, I had a bad dream, too..."

_Astra sleepily stumbled to the fence. Last night had been horrible. 10 peacekeepers had barged into her room in the middle of the night and taken Leo. Apparently, he had been accused of treason. _

_**It couldn't be, **Astra thought miserably._ _Everybody in District 12 hated the Capitol, but Leo never said anything in public. He was probably going to be turned into an Avox, now._

_Astra turned to the fence. She ducked under. _

_"Hey! You!" A peacekeeper yelled. Astra's eyes widened and she ran. She felt herself pushed to the forest floor. She was handcuffed and brought to the town square, where many people stood, seemingly waiting for something. Then she spotted the whip on the stage. _

_"No!" She shouted fearfully. She was pushed onstage and began to feel the sting of the whip as it bore down on her legs and her back. she reached back and felt extremely deep welts, too deep to be real._

_Now she was being carried to her house. A healer walked over to her briskly and pushed some herbs onto her healer raised something high above Astra's head. Astra looked up weakly.  
_

_It was a knife._

_Everything went black._

Oriana had fallen back asleep by now. Astra looked down at her twin.

"Sweet dreams, Ana." She whispered. She tucked herself in next to Oriana and began to fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

The Capitol  


Occisor Filii strode down the hall with purpose, looking at the out the large window, where the moon shone in brightly. His dark green goatee moved back and forth slightly as he walked into the meeting room. It was generously furnished, with silver tapestries that had the Capitol's insignia sewn onto it. In the room sat six other Capitolites, fellow Gamemakers to be precise.

"We're killing kids, we're killing kids, we're killing kids," A woman with bright blue, sparkly hair muttered, rocking back and forth.

Occisor took a seat at the head of the table without looking at any of them. "Rabidique," He addressed a woman with light orange hair whose milky gray eyes were staring straight ahead at a wall. "Is the arena finished?"

"Four, four, it's over. hands, working together. Friendships will be made, alliances shall be broken, la la, la la," Rabidique sang softly, to no one in particular.

"We're killing kids, we're killing kids, we're killing kids."

"Yes, yes, we all possess the knowledge that you are crazed, Rabidique. Is the arena finished?" Occisor asked impatiently for a second time.

"The arena that will murder, the arena that will kill, la, la, red blood will spill. The arena, the arena is, is, finished, la, la, la." Rabidique answered.

"Sanguinarius, are the mutts developed and fully matured?" Sanguinarius looked at Occisor, a happy, crazed look in his bloodred eyes. "Yes, yes, they are all finished. They are all _beautiful._" The man chuckled evilly. "Good, good. Let us watch the reapings, then, hmm?"

"They will die, but one or two victors will emerge. They have been through much, They shall have victory in the end!" A man with surgically-altered clawed hands rasped.

""We're killing kids, we're killing kids, we're killing kids."

Occisor sighed. "Yes, we know, Stridor. We have victors every year! Bellusa, will you please turn on the screen?" Occisor asked a beautiful young woman that looked no more than twenty, though in reality she was the same age as Occisor, about sixty.

"Of course! Anything for the most handsome Gamemaker in history!" Bellusa said flirtatiously, leaning over from her seat near the doorway to press a button.

"We're killing kids, we're killing kids, we're killing kids."

"Periculosi! Those are dangerous thoughts," Occisor warned. Suddenly Periculosi changed her attitude. "What thoughts?" She asked confusedly "And call me Peri!"

Occisor sighed at the group of odd Gamemakers.

A screen swung out and the reapings began to play. "The District One girl seems feisty," Bellusa commented. "I like her."

"She seems bratty," Occisor said, wrinkling his eyebrows at the screen. "Pull up Aphrodite Oner's profile, Secretia. Victor Oner's, also."

The woman, Secretia, wore her naturally white-blonde hair in a tight bun at the top of her head. She immediately set to work and pulled out her large tablet, moving her fingers so quickly that the average human eye would capture the motion as a blur.

"Aphrodite Oner. Her parents own the largest jeweling company in Panem. It seems she was sent to the top training center in District One when she was five years old. The training center was very harsh, and the punishments dire. She basically treats everyone like servants," Secretia recited, pausing only to breath.

"Victor Oner. Not much on him. His parents told the district that he died when he was very young. They kept him hidden from the world for most if his life and disguised him when the brought him to the reaping. He was diagnosed with leukemia when he was two. That's all I can pull up," Secretia looked up from her screen.

Occisor was deep in thought. "Hmm... How much of a chance does he have?" The Head Gamemaker asked. Secretia pulled up a app that told how much of a chance tributes have. "Um... A five and a half," Secretia said. Occisor looked at the TV. "Interesting," he said thoughtfully

The District Two reapings began to play.

"That boy, Tye. He looks interesting," Occisor muttered to no one in particular. "He looks like he will murder... AND BRUTALLY!" Sanguinarius cackled.

The reapings went on in the manner, with Occisor asking about each tribute as they went on. When they finished, the Gamemakers began to file out of the door.

"Secretia!" Occisor called over the Gamemakers getting things together. "Did you come up with a complete list of mutts?" Secretia promptly handed Occisor a list, which he scanned quickly. "Oooohh. I like this one. Oh, my god. These mutts are very... interesting." Occisor gasped at one picture. "_Terrifying! _ Great job, Secretia! See you tomorrow, everyone!"

_These are going to be some interesting games._

* * *

**A/N: So, I hope I didn't trigger anything anywhere when Richie was being bullied.**

** I'm thinking about doing a 24 author 24 tribute collaboration thingy :). If you want to be included, PM me for details.**

**I already have possible candidates for victors, but reviewing couldn't possibly hurt your tribute ;)**

**Oh, a question: Favorite gamemaker? Here's a list:  
**

**Head Gamemaker: Occisor Filii**

**Gamemakers:**

**Rabidique: Crazy, sings.**

**Periculosi "Peri": Rebellious, two personalities.**

**Sanguinarius: Bloodred eyes, loves killing and ideas for killing.  
**

**Stridor: Kind of predicts the future.  
**

**Bellusa: Flirty.**

**Secretia: Secretary-type person.**

**And for no reason:**

**I WALK OUT OF THE WOODS AND THIS IS WHAT I SEE**

**PEETA MELLARK, A STARIN' AT ME.**

**I GOT AN ARROW BY MY SIDE AND I AIN'T AFRAID TO BOW IT, BOW IT, BOW IT,  
**

**I'M KATNISS AND YOU KNOW IT, KNOW IT, KNOW IT!**


	9. Tribute Parade

**A/N: Sorry if you didn't get the costume you wanted! Here it is, let the pre-game fun begin!**

**Also, thank you so much for the reviews, guys! You guys are awesome! R & R!**

**Disclaimer. I no own Hunger Games. Wahhhhh!**

Districts 1 & 2  


"Twirl for me," Aphrodite's stylist commanded. She glared at him. _How dare he order me around?_ She thought before twirling. She let the flowing ivory material surround her, the tiny pieces of diamonds sparkling in the light. It was a slightly revealing knee-length V-neck.

Her stylist gasped "I almost forgot!" He exclaimed, placing a small diamond studded tiara on her head. Aphrodite smirked._ At least they recognize me as their superior,_ she thought.

Vic entered from the next room, wearing a tuxedo that produced the illusion that it was made of diamonds completely. _I...can't...breath..._ Vic thought, trying not to grimace. He smiled weakly at Aphrodite.

"You look beautiful," he said. Aphrodite's face softened slightly. Vic's prep team had used spray-on tan, covering up hiss pale skin.

"Okay, we're on!" Vic's stylist shouted.

Aphrodite and Vic followed their stylists to their vehicle; a hovercraft.

It was a small hovercraft, about as big as the chariots tributes had used to ride in. It had no roof so that the viewers could see those riding inside.

Years ago, President Coin had decided that chariots were too old fashioned to be used in an event such as the Hunger Games, and in a well-developed country such as Panem.

As Aphrodite began to pull herself off the ground and into the hovercraft, a small girl bumped into her leg.

"Hey-! She shouted angrily. She calmed down a bit when she saw that it was a small five year old. _District 2,_ Aphrodite thought.

I'm sorry," the little girl said in a small voice. "Help me. My prep team is making me wear this." She sobbed, visibly uncomfortable in her pink toga and gold cape that was attempting to be a gladiator's outfit. Aphrodite frowned.

"Where's your brother?" Vic asked, concerned.

"Tye said he was with his stylist," Rose answered, looking behind herself worriedly as if expecting someone to appear.

They both saw someone appearing from inside. Rose hid behind Aphrodite. A boy with shaggy brown hair appeared, wearing the same thing as his sister, the only difference being that his toga was red and that his bare chest was showing through his red sash.

"Rose, we only have to wear these for a few minutes," he said tiredly. Aphrodite looked into his ocean blue eyes, getting lost in their depth. _He's cute,_ she thought.

After a moment, Aphrodite realized that Tye was speaking to her.

"Hello? Aphrodite? It's Aphrodite, right?" He was asking.

"Ye-yeah," She answered embarrassedly.

"Thanks for watching Rose for a minute," Tye said.

"Yeah, it was no problem," Aphrodite answered awkwardly.

"Sooo... Allies, right?" Tye asked.

"Yeah," Aphrodite confirmed, trying her best not to smile at the thought.

* * *

District 3

Silmarien bit, kicked, scratched and basically attempted to kill Violettei, Roselettei and Daisilettei (who were triplets) as they tried to wax her legs.

"Dear, stop kicking!" Violettei exclaimed, though it sounded more like "De-Ah, stoop keekink!" To Silmarien.

"Shut up," she replied through clenched teeth as two peacekeepers held her down.

When her stylist arrived, he handed her a sparkly green jumpsuit. On the collar, silver wires protruded, shooting multicolored sparks into the air.

Silmarien wrinkled her nose and barked "Get out!" at her stylist before dressing. Aldarion entered wearing a matching outfit, and both groaned as they saw each other's clothes.

* * *

District 4  


Genevieve squirmed as her prep team waxed her legs. She absolutely HATED people touching any part of her, and she was currently very upset and uncomfortable "Okay. Done." A man named Saffronno informed her.

She sat up and said, "thanks." Her prep team left and her stylist, Jhong entered.

"I have created the usual District Four outfit; merpeople." He told her, handing her an outfit.

He glanced down at her wrist. Genevieve was wearing her shell bracelet.

Jhong thought for a moment before telling her "you can wear your token, too."

* * *

District 5  


"Your hair is so _greasy,_ dear!" A woman named Jorjienna told Ed in her Capitol accent. Ed bit his lip and tried to insult Jorjienna.

"I'm gonna throw dirt at you!" He said angrily. Jorjienna smiled and tried hard not to laugh at Ed's pathetic threat.

"Don't blame him, Jorji!" Another woman, LaJoy, scolded. "It's not his fault he's poor!"

The prep team finished up and called Ed's stylist in. He was a man with purple skin and an orange nose that Ed thought looked like a bird's beak.

"Here you go," The bird-stylist threw Ed's costume towards him carelessly and went back to filing his nails.

Ed looked down at his costume. It was a windmill. The 'blades' were on a white plastic hat and the base was made from some kind of stiff brown material. It looked ridiculous

"This costume looks like- this costume is poo!" Ed said quietly. His stylist didn't hear.

_This doesn't make sense, _he thought_. District 5 is power. Though windmills can produce energy... _he reluctantly began to dress in the outfit, which was made difficult because of the stiff material. He wobbled dangerously from side to side as he made his way to the hovercraft. Greta was dressed in the same horrendous outfit. She looked cross.

"Ed, I don't want to wear this! Me and Rory think it's ugly!" She said loudly enough for their stylists to hear. They both glared in the tributes direction. Ed rushed himself and his sister into their hovercraft. They watched as District 4 passed.

"They're pretty!" Greta smiled. Ed had to agree. The tiny blue and green jewels on the merpeople outfits sparkled in the light.

They exited, then it was time for Greta and Ed to enter the parade.

* * *

District 6

Kimmie held her head high as her prep team dressed her. Her mouth was set in a scowl aimed toward both her prep team and her outfit. They were dressing her as a _train. A train, _of all things. She felt nearly as inferior as those peasants from District 5. They had dyed her hair silver, as well as covering her face in some kind of sparkly silver-pink goo.

She was lead to her hovercraft, where Richie, his stylist and mentor were waiting. Richie had been dressed in the same ridiculous getup. They both groaned involuntarily. Their mentors were trying hard not to laugh. "Okay, so since your costumes probably won't get many sponsors, remember to smile and wave." Kimmie's mentor laughed.

They both took a deep breath and stepped inside the hovercraft.

* * *

District 7  


"I. Look. Ridiculous." Teek muttered through gritted teeth. He was wearing an outfit that made him look like a tree. Fake leaves were carelessly stitched on to the brown cloth trunk and brown makeup was smeared messily across the sixteen year old's face. All in all, it looked as though Teek's stylist had been two years old by the utter lack of professionalism.

Rowan rolled his eyes. What did it matter what people thought of him? In the end, it was the smarts and skill that mattered, not the gifts.

"Shut up. It's clothes." He growled.

* * *

District 8

Karrin grit her teeth. She was _10_, for god's sake! Why were they waxing her legs? And her arms? And place where she didn't even know hair could _exist_?

The last straw was when they showed her her outfit. First of all, she _hated_ dresses. Especially ones people thought were pretty. Karrin and dresses were like mixing together spinach and chocolate. And something that had been on the train her escort had called spam.

If you asked anyone in District 8, they would describe Karrin as a tomboy. _So why were they making her wear this ridiculous dress?_

"Do I have to wear this?" She whined impulsively.

"Yes." Her stylist said flatly.

_Do it for the sponsors, _she thought._ Do it for your survival._

She reluctantly dress in the garments. She was now wearing a patchwork dress. Some cloth was silk and felt smooth against her skin. The velvet kept a small part of her arm warmer than the other. so many different patterns wound around Karrin's body, it was impossible to count them all.

The style of the dress was a knee-length tee. Karrin's prep team had styled her hair into two high pigtails tied up in stray bits of fringed ribbon and she felt much too cutesy.

She sighed and met Lacy in the hall. She was wearing the exact same thing, all the way up to her hair.

"I hate this." Karrin growled. She saw tears appearing in Lacy's eyes and her face softened.

"Don't cry, Lace. Your stylist is going to kill you if you mess up your makeup." She smirked. Lacy smiled.

Lacy's stylist rushed over and began fussing over her makeup, mascara and blush in hand.

When he was done, Karrin and Lacy stepped into their hovercraft.

* * *

District 9

Rosealie tried with everything she had not to scream. First of all, her prep team was removing half of her body hair. Second, SHE COULDN'T TAKE THE RUDE COMMENTS ANYMORE!

"Uggh, you're so dirty, dear!"

"You are more hairy than a hairball!"

"Did a bird once sleep on your head, darling?"

Rosealie made her voice sickly sweet when they were finished. "Thank you _so_ much, guys!" She smiled a smile so large that it hurt her jaws after a few moments. "I was so ugly before, and now I'm-" She looked in a mirror at her face. "Now I'm so-not! I'm beautiful!"

They handed her her clothes.

* * *

District 10

"That stop! Uncomfortable am I!" Jezzabelle squeaked. One member of her prep team rolled their eyes.

"Yes, because you really don't need to be made pretty by professionals. You are already so beautiful!" Joren said sarcastically, ripping the wax off of Jezzabelle's eyebrow. She screeched. "Not like you I! Thank but you," she said, not understanding Joren's sarcasm.

She tried to get off the table, but a woman, Willysa, held her back.

Willysa had bright green hair and neon pink eyes. She wore a puke green coat covered in lemon yellow hearts.

It had a very ugly effect.

Jezzabelle squirmed a little more before going limp.

They finished their fashionable torture and introduced her to her outfit.

* * *

District 11

Talia flinched away from her prep team. Two of them were men, and the other one may as well have been a man because of her plastic surgery.

She tried as hard as she could to get off of the table and run, but 135 held her down. That's right, a man named 135. "Oh, no. We need to make you pretty! You can't go anywhere yet!" As much as she squirmed and tried to scream, 135 only covered her mouth and tightened his grip.

Talia cried.

"No, dear! You'll mess up your makeup! We know that you are grateful, but soon you will waste all of your hard work!"

Talia's lip wobbled. Her stylist hurried to fix the damage that her tears had created. Finally they were done, and they handed her her outfit.

Talia groaned.

* * *

District 12

The only reason Astra wasn't uttering a word was because her survival depended it. It doesn't matter how dramatic that sounded, it was true.

To keep her mind off of it, she thought about her mom, her dad, Leo, Oriana and Ky.

Ky was probably hunting and gathering plants, as usual. When she had said goodbye, he had promised to help her mother and father. Astra pictured Leo, who was now most likely dead. She began to shake slightly and nearly began crying at the thoughts.

She felt a hand hold her down gently. She opened her eyes and met those of a young boy, probably no older than Astra. His eyes were made a grass green color by contact lenses, and his brown hair had streaks of matching color in it.

"Hey, there. You're okay." He whispered. He leaned down next to her. "I know you're scared, but it's possible to get out. I believe in you and your sister."

He said this so quietly that Astra could barely hear, though when her mind processed his words she was terrified for a moment that cameras had somehow picked up his voice.

Oriana had once gotten her hands on an old copy of a book called 1984. Astra thought that it was a lot like the present time, the date was just off. She always felt like she was being watched, like many cameras were constantly focused on her, on her family, on everyone. Just like in the book.

Many times Astra had actually caught cameras, disguised as something else, aimed in her direction.

As she looked into the green-eyed boy's eyes, she couldn't help thinking that maybe, if circumstances were different, that perhaps she and this boy could have a happy life together.

* * *

Gamemakers' Box

Occisor sighed in aggravation. What with Periculosi's constant muttering, Rabidique's singing, Sanguinarius's murderous talk and Stridor's 'predictions', he felt like he was going crazy himself.

"The costumes won't matter when they're laying in a pool of their own blood," Sanguinarius fumed. The Hovercraft rides were his least favorite part.

The District 1 tributes came floating out in their Hovercraft, their diamond outfits sparkling in the sunlight. The Capitolites roared with approval.

"What luxurious outfits!" Regius Rex's voice boomed over the microphone. "A perfect representation of District 1's industry; luxury!"

Aphrodite waved to the crowd, smiling sweetly. Vic looked very innocent as he smiled and waved shyly.

"They're going to die, they're going to die, they're going to die," Peri muttered.

District 2 entered, the boy waving to the crowd, the girl looking uncomfortable in her gladiator outfit. The boy whispered something to the girl and the five year old immediately perked up, smiled and waved vigorously to the crowd. The clapping had not died down at all.

"It seems that District 2's stylists have dressed this year's tributes as gladiators!" Regius shouted.

Peri watched in horror.

"A five year old is going to die, a five year old is going to die."

"Periculosi, is it your wish to be executed for treason?" Occisor snapped, walking briskly to Peri and towering over her.

Periculosi looked at him confusedly. "What do you mean, sir? I love the Capitol!"

Occisor sighed.

The District 3 tributes entered in their hovercraft, the girl scowling and staring straight ahead. The boy looked like he was trying very hard not to mirror his sister's emotions, though he was waving, unlike Silmarien.

Occisor looked at the two teenagers with interest and confusion mixed together on his face.

_These two are odd. Don't they want sponsors?_ He thought, stroking his goatee.

"For District 3, it seems the stylists have gone with the usual jumpsuits and wires shooting sparks, not that it makes the outfits any less amazing!" Regius said.

Right before Silmarien and Aldarion exited, Silmarien flipped the audience off.

Occisor watched them exit in shock. "That was... unnecessary."

Bellusa twirled her hair and smirked at Occisor.

"The Tribute Parade is pretty boring itself, but you make it so much more interesting," she said, putting her face extremely close to the Head Gamemaker's. Occisor shifter in his seat uncomfortably as the District 4 tributes entered.

"It seems the District 4 stylists have chosen merpeople once again, but as with District 3, the fact does not make the outfits any less spectacular!" Regius shouted.

Both tributes were fitted with tight-fitting cloth 'tails'. They both wore seashell crowns. The girl wore a teal bra that seemed to be made out of seaweed, while the boy had no shirt at all, other than a thin net with small seashells attached draped over his muscular chest.

They both were extremely tanned. The girl had her chestnut hair done in elaborate braid, and the boy's hair was tastefully messy. _Maybe I'll go out with him if he wins, instead of Occisor, _Bellusa thought.

* * *

District 4  


"Eve, wave!" Kai said through clenched, smiling teeth. "Okay," Genevieve whispered back. She began to mirror her brother, smiling and waving to the crowd. The Capitolites once again roared with pleasure.

_I hope this gets us sponsors,_ Kai thought as they exited their hovercraft.

* * *

Gamemakers' Box

The District 5 tributes entered. Occisor wrinkled his eyebrows and frowned.

"Secretia, isn't District 5 power?" He asked.

"Yes," Secretia responded immediately.

_Then why are they dressed up as... windmills?_ the Head Gamemaker wondered. The clapping had died down considerably once the Capitol citizens had caught a glimpse of Greta and Ed's costumes.

Regius's voice once again came over the speaker, and, struggling for something to say, said

"Fun fact: Did you know that windmills convert the energy of wind into rotation energy and power? These costumes are very-" Regius thought for a moment before struggling to say the last word honestly. "-interesting."

This gained a bit more applause from the crowd.

These costumes, however, were very un-epic.

The District 6 tributes entered and the clapping died down even more than it had for District 5. They were dressed as extremely unrealistic trains. The girl wore a bright, sparking train outfit and the boy wore the same thing, but his outfit was green. Bellusa laughed loudly When she saw them.

"Don't worry, Head Gamemaker! You will always be more handsome then those district goofballs!" She said. Occisor chose not to reply.

"What beautiful, erm, trains the District 6 tributes are dressed as! How fantastic!" Regius voice came over the speaker.

The words seemed very forced.

Peri looked around. _Why are we killing kids? Couldn't we be solving world hunger or something_?She thought. Suddenly something inside her changed. She smiled. _I can't wait until they go into the arena! My favorite part!_

The twin brothers from District 7 entered. The crowd was much quieter then they had been since District 4. One brother was waving and smiling at the crowd. That one was Teek, Peri remembered. The other boy, however, looked annoyed.

He had his arms crossed and was frowning. Teek whispered something to his brother then good-naturedly (or maybe not) punch his arm lightly (or maybe not).

Regius Rex was, and had been trying to for the past three costumes, coming up with something to say.

"Yeah... trees. Because District 7 is...trees?" he faltered.

Next was District 8.

Rabidique watched as the two tributes, dressed in the first good costumes since District 4, entered. They smiled sincerely and waved.

Rabidique began to sing.

"Cloth and ribbons, smiles and waves. In seven days, they could be hiding in caves. Makeup and jewels, bright white teeth. Could they be drowning near a reef? Tra la la, la la, la, la, la." She finished softly as Regius spoke again, sounding relieved to be talking about nice costumes again.

"Wow, what beautiful patchwork dresses! Lacy and Karrin, I believe, both look like patchwork dolls! What fantastic outfits!"

"Will they be dead or will they be rich? Will they be killed by a mutation finch? Tra la la, la, la lala, la la, la, la."

Bellusa twirled her hair, bored. She propped herself up on her elbow, resting it on her cushioned chair. The District 9 tributes entered next. Bellusa's mouth dropped into an 'O'.

"Wow," She whispered.

Rosealie and Vivian were both wearing amber dresses and tights. They were decorated with what looked like stalks of grain that wound up the outfits. They waved and smiled shyly, golden bracelets with grain designs shining.

They both wore golden shoes with golden grains strapping the footwear to their feet. Their chocolate brown hair had streaks of amber brushed into it. They also wore headbands that looked to be made on golden grain. All in all, the outfits had a beautiful effect.

The sun shone brightly on the girls, making their outfits shine even more vibrantly.

Regius smiled and said something about the outfits that Bellusa didn't hear, and she couldn't help but say the one word one more time,

"Wow,"

The District 10 tributes entered. _Good,_ Occisor thought. _The torture is almost over._ He was so utterly done with the group of mostly insane gamesmakers.

The tributes waved. The girl looked like she was angry (though she was actually smiling), while the boy was smiling and waving.

They were dressed as a cowboy and cowgirl, respectfully.

The girl wore a floppy brown cowgirl's hat with pieces of jewels all over it. Her knee-length dress, which hugged her body and showed off her skin-and-bones figure, was also brown, jewels decorating the bottom.

She had a white vest with sapphires sparking on the sleeves. She also had a jeweled brown belt and a sequined white bandana wrapped around her neck. Her long brown hair was left unstyled and fell to her waist. Last but not least, she wore high-heeled, jeweled cowgirl boots that came up to her knees.

Her brother wore also wore brown boots, but he wore only jeans instead of a dress. He was left shirtless, his large tan muscles from working in the fields bulging. He waved, and large smile on his face.

He flexed his muscles a few times and about half of the woman audience nearly fainted. He wore a red bandana around in neck and a plain brown cowboy hat on his head.

The crowd roared.

"A cowboy and a cowgirl, and what stylish cow, erm, people, too! Great job, District 10 stylists!"

"We're killing kids, we're killing kids, we're killing kids."

Occisor face-palmed.

District 11 came next. The boy was wearing an outfit that made him look like a stalk of asparagus that actually looked quite realistic. Despite the ugly outfit, Damien waved and smiled charmingly to the crowd, blowing kisses to them as well.

As with Itzel, nearly half of the nearly women fainted, as well as a few men.

Talia was keeping herself as far away from Damien as possible, hugging the side of her vehicle. She waved to the crowd, but was mostly focusing on staying away from her brother. She was dressed as a giant purple thing that her stylist had attempted to make into a berry.

Her broken arm was in a cast that had been dyed blue to match her outfit. Her stylists had also dyed her curly red hair blue and styled it into a bun at the top of her head, which was hidden by her costume.

Damien suddenly grabbed her hand-attached to her broken arm-and she tried as hard as she could not to cry out. The oblivious crowd roared louder.

_Mother, please. Help me!_ She thought. With her left hand she touched her turquoise cross pendant. _Mom?_

"Because of it's orchards, District 11's stylists have chosen to dress this years' tributes as asparagus and, erm, a berry!" Regius said.

Talia groaned as they exited.

Last but not least was District 12. Occisor almost shouted with relief, and began to, but was shut up when the tributes entered. The crowd roared louder than they had for any other costume.

They were wearing twin outfits. Both wore tight black jumpsuits. The outfits glowed orangey amber and created the illusion of burning coals. Artificial sparks even jumped from the clothes. The stylists had went so far as to create crackling sounds the emitted from small yet powerful radios on the inside of the outfits.

On their heads, the twins wore headbands similar to their outfits. The headbands glowed like coals, also making sparks fly.

Epicness.

"Wow. For the grand finale that is District twelve, the stylists have dressed their tributes in... I don't even know what." Regius said wonderingly.

Astra smiled brightly and waved, bubbly as always. Oriana also had a small smile on her face and waved, mirroring her sister's motions.

Epicness.

The tributes exited, bound to get many sponsors.

* * *

**A/N: And so it begins.  
**

**Favorite costumes?**


	10. Training Day 1

Aldarion smiled as he injected the pharmaca into his arm. Even in the Capitol people sold it, and it hadn't been hard to acquire.

"Thanks, man," he said to the shady raven-haired man in the trench-coat. The man nodded and turned to leave.

Aldarion quickly changed into his training clothes and walked to the dining room to eat breakfast. Silmarien glared at him as he entered, and he mirrored her expression.

He took a seat and picked at the food that a red-haired Avox brought him. He closed his eyes for a moment and then...

"_Zzzzzzz,_" he snored, his face landing in a bowl of oatmeal. The hot food burnt his face. He sat up and screamed.

Silmarien snickered.

"BITCH!" Aldarion screamed before lunging at his sister. She responded immediately, by clawing at his face. Jennilla suddenly pulled them up by the back of their shirts and spun them around. They growled at her. She responded in kind.

"I give up!" she shouted. "You can die, Silmarien! I don't think you care and you know what? That's fine. Just go." Silmarien stared at her mentor for a moment. "GO!"

Aldarion and Silmarien turned and walked to the door, glaring at each other the entire time.

When they arrived at the training center, they found that they were the last to arrive. They exchanged one last glare before separating.

Aldarion decided to try camouflage, and the trainer at the camouflage station was delighted to help. Try as he might, though, the dark-haired boy could not make himself invisible, He only succeeded in smearing berry juice all over his face. He lay down on the artificial forest floor and was soon asleep once again.

_Zzzzz..._

He was rudely awakened some time later by the boy from 7 who, Aldarion remembered, had flipped out when his brother had been reaped.

"Hey, Aldarion, right? Sorry if I woke you up. I was wondering if you wanted to be allies." Aldarion smiled. This guy seemed pretty chill, other than the freaking-out-at-his-brother-for-getting-reaped thing.

"Sure."

* * *

Oriana took careful aim at the target, barely noticing when the girl from District 11 walked up to her side. She released the knife and it landed only feet in front of her.

"Hi," Talia said hesitantly. "Umm, do you want to be allies?" She asked, twirling a bit of hair around her finger quickly.

Oriana looked up and bit her lip, annoyed that the girl had disrupted her accuracy. The District 12 girl sighed and thought carefully for a moment. Talia looked at the girl, worried that she would decline.

"One second, please." she said quietly. She walked away and came back a moment later with another girl by her side.

"Hi, I'm Astra." The new girl smiled. "My sister says you want to be in an alliance?" Talia nodded.

"Ye-yeah," she answered nervously. Astra reached out her hand expectantly and Talia realized that Astra wanted to shake it.

"We accept," the black haired girl smiled warmly. "Want to try the edible plants?" Talia let a small smile creep onto her face.

The new alliance made their way to the edible plant section. Talia picked up a medium-sized red berry with seeds on the outside. She turned it in her hand slowly before bringing it to her nose. She inhaled and took a small bite from the tip.

She immediately began to feel extremely itchy. "Shit," she muttered.

"What?" Astra asked.

"I think I'm allergic to these," she explained, pointing to the berry. She scratched her neck. Upon asking the trainer about the name, she learned that they were called strawberries.

Talia looked behind the twins distractedly. "What now?" Oriana asked. Talia didn't answer. She began to walk quickly towards a different station.

"Where are you going, sis?" Damien's voice came from behind her. Talia's eyes widened and her breaths came faster. Astra looked at her new ally in confusion. The boy from 11 was her _brother,_ and he had greeted Talia very calmly... kindly, even.

He took his sister's arm and she cried out in pain. Oriana remembered that Talia arm had been broken at the reaping. Damien gasped, but Oriana knew that it was in fake concern.

_Something's wrong,_ she thought. She whispered her suspicions to Astra, who walked over to the blond-haired boy and touched his arm, to let him know she was there.

"I think you know that that's your sister's broken arm," she said, a mix of questioning, anger and confusion in her voice.

"Oh, my god! Sorry, Talia!" Damien exclaimed, dropping his sister's arm at once. Oriana could still sense false concern in his voice.

"Come on, Talia, Oriana," Astra said to her allies, shooting a look at Damien as they walked towards the dagger training. He looked back at her, seeming confused.

As they arrived, an Avox handed each tribute a dagger.

Astra and Oriana's hearts stopped as they saw the tongueless servant's face.

It was Leo.

* * *

Kimmie scowled at every tribute in the Training Center. They were so inferior.

She stalked over to the hand-to-hand combat station haughtily, her brother in tow. They had made an unspoken agreement to be allies.

They practiced until their training outfits (which Kimmie liked much better that their ridiculous parade costumes) were covered in sweat and their breathing came in short gasps. By then, they had both learned several moves and also several pressure points to press to make their opponents pass out.

The siblings decided to spar with each other as practice. Kimmie ran towards Richie, aiming a kick at his abdomen. In turn, he grabbed her leg and twisted it, throwing her to the floor.

"That kick was terrible," Richie laughed. Kimmie couldn't help but do the same.

"No, it wasn't. The timing was just wrong." She looked to the trainer for backup. He nodded. Kimmie smirked, but the smirk soon turned into a playful smile. Richie looked embarrassed.

"Told you so, know-it-all!" She slapped him playfully. He wrestled her to the floor and they rolled back and forth, both tributes barely able to suppress their giggles.

"Richie," Kimmie gasped, bending over and placing her lightly tanned hands on her knees. She looked towards her brother with brown, almond shaped eyes, her shoulder-length black hair soaked with sweat.

"Yeah?" Richie answered as he led his little sister towards the buffet of food.

"Should we try to ally with the careers?" she asked, leaning against a sturdy steel table as she drank a bottle of icy water. Richie looked towards the athletic tributes thoughtfully.

"I think we should wait," he ventured.

She took a breath and said something she hadn't said in a long time. "I think you're right."

"Then who would be good for an alliance?"

Kimmie thought for a moment.

"What about District 3?"

"Maybe."

They walked over to the girl from 3, being unable to locate the boy. For a minute they only threw knives alongside Silmarien, waiting for the right moment to invite her into an alliance.

"Hello," Richie greeted her.

"..."

"How dare you not answer my brother?" Kimmie asked angrily.

"..."

"So I suppose this means you do not want to ally with us?"

"_No,_" the brown-eyed girl growled, turning immediately to face the District 6 tributes. She held her knife up, as though she might throw it at any moment. Kimmie began to walk towards her, preparing to touch a pressure-point near Silmarien's collarbone that she had just learned about a few minutes before. Richie grabbed her wrist.

"Relax, Kimmie," he ordered. The girl listened; something she would not do with any other person in the world. Her eyes glowed with a fiery rage. She faced Silmarien, walking towards her until they were nearly nose-to-nose and both girls were glaring furiously. Kimmie looked intimidating, though she was three inches shorter than Silmarien. She said coolly, "You've just made a big mistake."

* * *

Vic swung the mace overhead before releasing it, flinging the weapon into a target shaped like a human being. The trainer had given him a very light mace because of his lack of muscle strength.

"Hey, Vic!" Aphrodite called. Vic walked over to her, breathing harder than usual.

"What is it, Dite?" he asked, looking up into his sister's eyes.

"We need to go see what 4's doing," she explained, as Rose ran into Vic's arms.

The five-year-old had taken a liking to Vic, and Vic had been kind in return, helping her with her training and other things. He thought that the District 2 girl was adorable. He's also done it so that Aphrodite and Tye could train together, as he'd sensed that Aphrodite had a crush on the District 2 boy and vice versa.

"Alright," Vic agreed, as he took Rose's hand, following his sister and Tye to where Kai was attempting to tie knots, though he was failing miserably. The reason was that he kept looking up at the careers, as he had been afraid of this moment since two days before, when his mentor, Cho, first brought up the subject.

"Why have you not joined us yet?" Aphrodite questioned Kai, staring at him with icy blue eyes. He began to answer, but was cut off by the silky-haired girl.

"That doesn't matter; it matters only that you're here now. Let's go to the spear-throwing station."

Kai looked down at his lap and his cheeks flushed bright red as he noticed his heap of knotted rope.

"I, uh... we, um, don't really... uh..."

"Spit it out!" Aphrodite growled. Kai flinched slightly.

"We don't want to be your allies."

Aphrodite's nostrils flared. Genevieve whimpered from behind Kai.

"It's okay," Genevieve said, reaching out to hug Aphrodite. She moved away quickly.

"Don't touch me," she spat.

She glared at Kai, before turning around to have a quick conference with Tye and Vic. When she turned back to face him, her smile was sickly sweet.

"Aphrodite, can't you be nicer?" Vic asked from behind her. But it was too late.

"Congratulation. You have the Careers as enemies, now."

* * *

Damien watched with his muscular arms crossed over his chest as the Careers stalked away from the boy from 4. _Maybe it would be a good idea to ally with them,_ he thought.

He walked over to the fighting daggers station, taking a dagger from the hands of a trainer. He looked down at his weapon, weighing it and measuring its size. This was the weapon he had trained with for years. This was the weapon he would win with.

He got involved with a training match and seemed to put no effort into blocking the trainer. When using the dummies, he was extremely agile and stabbed five in six seconds.

When he looked up, he saw the Careers watching interestedly. Three of them, at least. The five-year-old was pulling at her brother's training outfit, begging for lunch. He ignored her at first, but finally rolled his eyes and allowed her to fetch a chocolate granola bar from the buffet.

Self-consciously, Damien stabbed five more dummies before walking up to the group of Careers. He put on a winning smile.

"Hey," he began. "I was wondering if you would allow me to enter your alliance?" He smiled at the group. The boy hesitated. Aphrodite walked over to him and began whispering, though Damien could still hear and see everything that they were saying and doing.

"Do you think we should let him join, Dite?"

"Maybe, Tye." She smiled happily up at him. _His dagger skills are rather impressive,_ she thought. "Okay. You can join."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, maybe not my best chapter. I still require reviews, however :P. It affects if your tributes wins or not.**

**Alliances: Aphrodite/Vic/Tye/Rose/Damien (Careers), Oriana/Astra/Talia, Kai/Genevieve, Greta/Ed, Richie/Kimmie, Lacy/Karrin, Rosealie/Vivian, Itzel/Jezzy, Teek/Aldarion, Silmarien (loner), Rowan (loner)**

**Romances: Aphrodite/Tye**

**And because this is the tenth chapter (yay!) I am going to dedicate it to some people. Here is a list:**

**androidilenya, peace and joyce, Emmeline C. Thornbrooke, Unicorn Devil, Awkward Red Velvet Demon, the last victor of district 2, SakuraDreamerz, Hollowplaces, PrettyinPink22, GirlSentFromTheOcean, ATallTale, DomiHearts1497, AND ALL OF MY AWESOME REVIEWERS!**

**A special thanks to Esther-Channah, who beta-read this for me. Thanks!**


	11. Training Day 2

_Bzzzt! _A large burn spot formed on the dummy. Jezzy stopped moving for a moment to catch her breath. She had been practicing with her main weapon—a cattle prod— non-stop for the past half hour. And it didn't go easy on her skin-and-bones body.

She saw the District 6 tributes nearby, talking to Itzel. She walked closer to hear what they were saying.

"...And then the girl from 3 denied us! How could she?" the girl huffed. "So, do you want to be our allies?" Itzel hesitated, and Jezzy knew that he was torn. These two might be good allies—and Jezzabelle had watched them train at the hand-to-hand combat station, and knew that they were amazing.

But when the time came, would they turn on Itzel and Jezzy?

"I'll have to talk to my sister about this; hold on a second, guys," Jezzy heard Itzel say.

"Good idea do you think it is to ally ourselves with them?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"I don't know, Jezzy," he answered. "They look like they know their stuff." Jezzy scratched her neck, hesitating. She took a deep breath.

"Alright. Do it let's," she said finally. Itzel walked back to Kimmie and Richie and told them. They smiled.

"Thank you," Richie said warmly. "Hey, what do you say that we go see if the girls from 9 want to join our alliance?"

"Okay," Itzel said.

"Hey, can Kimmie and me talk alone for a second?" Although this made Itzel a tad bit uneasy, they were gone before he could answer.

"Richie, the girl is obviously going to slow us down. Look at her! She's skin and bones! She is obviously a weakling." Kimmie said.

"Kimmie, that girl is amazing with a cattle prod. Her brother looks very strong. They're good choices!"

Kimmie scowled. "I suppose you're right."

* * *

Rosealie gasped for breath as she surfaced. She had just swum the entire length of a 20-foot pool and it had taken a lot out of her. She had learned the breast stroke, the butterfly stroke and the backstroke, though she was still perfecting the first two. Vivian was learning about edible plants on the other side of Training Center.

She heaved herself up beside the pool to rest. Hearing a commotion nearby, she turned.

The first thing she saw was blood.

Rosealie had always felt queasy at the sight of bloody things, so when she saw the twelve-year-old from District 5 with a red streak that led from her ankle to her knee...

_BLLLLEEEECCCCHHHH!_

Rosealie's vomit fouled the water. She felt more coming up and...

_BLLLLLEEEEECCCCHHHHH!_

She groaned as the last round of vomit came up.

_BLLLLLEEEEECCCCHHHHH!_

Rosealie let a soft sob escape. The acidic throw-up burned her throat. "Here," She heard the girl from 10—Jezzabelle—say, thrusting a cup of some sort of red smoothie toward the District 9 girl. "This helps." Rosealie looked up at her confusedly. "Trust you can me," The girl smirked, although she meant it as a smile. Somehow, Rosealie knew she could trust her. After all, nobody here really wanted to kill besides the Careers, right?

Rosealie began to drink the smoothie and the coolness of the drink immediately soothed her throat. As Rosealie took a fourth sip of her beverage, the tributes from 6 and Jezzabelle's brother, Itzel walked over.

"Hi," The boy from 6 greeted her. He seemed to be the leader of the group, though the man from 10 looked to be about 30. "We were, ah, wondering if you wanted to ally with us."

Rosealie hesitated. "I'll be right back. I want to talk to my sister about this. She jogged over to the climbing rocks, where Vivian had chosen to go after she had finished with the edible plants, and waited for her to finish. She saw that her sister was talking to the 16-year-old from District 8.

When Vivian got down from the rocks, she did not cease her conversation. In fact, she was so caught up in it that she almost walked right past Rosealie.

"Vivian!" Rosealie said, grabbing her sister's arm. Vivian looked confused for a moment, then began to laugh.

"I almost walked right by you! What are you, a ghost?" she joked. "What's up?" Rosealie looked at Lacy nervously. "Oh, this is Lacy." Vivian explained, motioning toward the brown-eyed girl. "Can we be her and her sister's allies?"

Rosealie looked pointedly at her sister. She liked herself and Vivian to blend in and try to be as unnoticeable as possible, but instead Vivian had pretty much made an ally without letting Rosealie know at all before hand. Vivian shrank slightly under her sister's stare. Finally, Rosealie sighed.

"Fine." Changing the subject, she said, "We have another alliance proposition."

Vivian frowned. "Who asked?"

"The pairs from 6 and 10." Rosealie responded. Vivian thought for a minute. "Okay," she nodded slowly.

"What do you think, Lacy?" Rosealie asked.

"Okay, that's fine. Let me just go get my sister, Karrin. She went off to the hand-to-hand combat station again." Lacy said.

"Okay, meet us by the swimming station." Rosealie told her over her shoulder as she turned to go back to where Richie, Kimmie, Jezzabelle, and Itzel were waiting.

Rosealie took a deep breath. "We accept," she said. "But there's one thing. My sister is already allies with the girls from 8. Is that okay?"

"Of course not!" Kimmie exclaimed. "One of them is _ten years old_!"

"Yeah, and there's a HUGE difference between ten and twelve," Richie answered her sarcastically.

"Isn't no there!" Jezzy said from his left, not understanding the sarcasm. He ignored her.

"It's fine," he said to Rosealie. "That girl looks like she has really good upper body strength. And her sister was doing hand-to-hand combat before. She was pretty good. _Almost_ as good as me."

"She does," Vivian said enthusiastically. "I mean she has good upper body strength. We had a race up the rocks, and she beat me by—" Rosealie shot a look at her, so she stopped and looked down at her feet, but Richie was already listening interestedly. Lacy and Karrin walked into their group then, with a piece of news to deliver.

"The Careers are watching us."

"What?" Vivian looked to where Lacy was pointing uneasily and saw that it was true.

"They must be mad that we have a strong, good-sized group," Richie sneered. He turned around to wave to them. The girl from 1 glared.

Richie smirked and led his group toward the bow-and-arrow station.

* * *

Tye stared as the boy from 6 waved at them, and growled softly.

"What's wrong, Tye?" Rose asked curiously.

"Nothing, Rose." He fell into step behind Aphrodite as she led them to the throwing knives section.

"Why do those look like people?" Rose asked curiously, pointing to the human-shaped targets. Tye sighed. The time had come to tell Rose what the games were really about. He looked at Aphrodite tiredly. "Give us a minute?" She nodded. Tye brought his sister to the camouflage station, where the artificial forest was very quiet.

"Rose, the Hunger Games..."

"Are a game!" Rose interrupted, smiling excitedly.

"No. Well, yeah. But it's not the fun kind of game. We're going to go... play in a few days. We're going to come back here tomorrow, then tomorrow night, we'll go in front of some people and show them how good we are at doing things."

Rose looked up at him, confused. "Stuff like throwing knives?" she asked.

"Yeah, whatever you're good at," Tye responded. "Then the next night we're going to go onto a stage and a man in going to ask us questions. He'll interview us."

"Okay. What's wrong, Tye?"

"I'm getting to that. The next day, we're going to 'play'." Rose smiled widely. "We'll go into a big outdoorsy place called an arena. People are going to try very hard to hurt you, Rose."

Rose looked at him with big doe eyes."Why?"

"Because that's how you play the game. Do you know what death is?"

"Uh-huh. It's like sleeping forever without any dreams. You said mommy and daddy died."

"Right. Well, people are going to try to kill you. Everyone except Aphrodite, me, and Vic." Tye's heart sank as he realized that, at one point, Aphrodite would have to die, possibly at his hands. Rose looked up at him, scared beyond words.

"I don't want to play anymore!" she said, on the verge of tears. Tye tried to hug her, but the small five-year-old backed away.

"Rose, I'm so sorry. I don't want to play, either. But we have to. It's the President's rules. _And I wish that Coin would die for the Capitol's sins,_ he added silently. This time, Rose did not resist when he hugged her. She clung to him, her little arms wrapped around his middle so tightly he could hardly breath. He felt tears slip down his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Rose," he whispered. "I love you." "I love you too, Tye." When they got back to the knife-throwing station, Aphrodite and Vic were waiting for them.

"Protect me, Vic!" Rose cried, running into the twelve-year-old. "Are you okay?" Damien asked the young girl.

Tye hugged Aphrodite and, without thinking, gently kissed her on the lips. Aphrodite was surprised, but kissed him back softly. They hugged each other tightly, not wanting to let go.

"Eeewwww!" Rose squealed. Tye and Aphrodite broke apart, still holding hands.

They were both falling for each other; and they knew that the day would come when at least one of them would die.

That day was approaching much too quickly.

* * *

The axe buried itself into a eleventh dummy's neck. Rowan wiped the sweat off of his forehead with a soft white towel and grabbed a bottle of icy water from the buffet. He took a seat and rested for a moment before heading over to the fire-building station.

He took some dry leaves, branches, and moss. He brought his supplies to one station and made a small wood tepee. He was just about to attempt a friction fire when Teek's voice came from behind.

"Hey, momma's boy," he teased. Rowan turned around and scowled at his brother before turning back to his work. Teek walked around to the front of Rowan's fire.

"When are you going to learn something that'll be useful, like using _weapons__?" h_e asked.

"Oh, yeah. Because I didn't kill eleven dummies a few minutes ago." Rowan said sarcastically, looking up at his brother. "What's going to happen when the arena is a frozen wasteland and you're dying of cold? I can tell you one thing: you won't be using _my_ fire. Where's your ally?"

"He had to use the bathroom."

"I hope he gets constipated."

"You know, there was this cat people called 'Grumpy Cat,' about a hundred years ago. You, my... er... _friend_, are the real-life Grumpy Cat."

"Good." Rowan got up to leave, but Teek was blocking his way.

"Out of my way, Teek," he said, annoyed. "I spent two hours at the hand-to-hand combat station yesterday, and you'll know I'm telling the truth if you keep standing there."

"No." Teek crossed his arms over his chest and blew a piece of reddish-brown hair out of his face. Rowan walked closer, and, though he knew that fighting in training wasn't allowed, his fist flew up to Teek's face and slammed into nose.

_CRACK._

Teek screamed. "YOU BROKE MY NOSE, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING ASS!" Four guards had to grab Teek to stop him from lunging at his brother. Four more guards restrained Rowan and led him back to his bedroom.

Rowan smiled ruefully. _No more training today, _he thought.

* * *

Greta dipped her fingers into some leaf paste. She spread it across her arm with a flourish, successfully blending into a bush. She smiled. This was one of the first things she had ever been good at, and it was a lot of fun, almost like finger painting.

She decided to surprise Ed. "Ed!" She whisper-yelled. He was nearby trying unsuccessfully to blend his arm into a tree.

"Yeah, Greta?" he answered.

"Come and find me!" Ed searched around confusedly for a moment. Greta suddenly felt an itch on her back. She reached down to scratch it. Ed finally saw her and smiled, but he also looked awed.

"Wow, Greta! I never even saw you!" Greta smiled at the compliment, then felt her stomach rumble.

"Can we go eat?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm starving!" Ed replied. "I'm hungrier then the Hunger Games!" Greta just looked at him. Ed sighed.

They made their way over to the buffet, where the girl from 3 was also standing.

"Hey, Greta. Have you tried the pie? It's really good!" Ed told her, smiling. Silmarien looked at him , picked up a tray and took ALL of the pie.

"Hey! That's not nice! My sister wanted some—" She ignored him and walked away. "That was...weird."

"Why did she do that? I wanted to try it!" Greta said, visibly upset. "There'll be more tomorrow," Ed told her. They each got a chicken stew and began to eat.

"Greta," Ed began. "You know that trick you did with the camouflage? Listen, you know how the games work, right?"

"People kill each other?"

"Yeah. If someone kills me, I want you to run. Run and hide in a forest or something. Camouflage yourself so that no one can find you."

"Okay, Ed." Greta replied solemnly.

* * *

**A/N: Alrighty, guys. One more training day, then evaluations, then interviews and then we go into the games!**

**The bit about Tye and Rose almost made me cry. Almost :`(.**

**Alliances: Aphrodite/Vic/Tye/Rose/Damien (Careers), Richie/Kimmie/Lacy/Karrin/Rosealie/Vivian/Itzel/Je zzy, Oriana/Astra/Talia, Kai/Genevieve, Greta/Ed, Teek/Aldarion, Silmarien (loner), Rowan (loner).**

**Romances: Aphrodite/Tye**

**Please review!**


	12. Training Day 3

Karrin took a deep breath and moved into a fighting stance. Suddenly she kicked, breaking the 10x10-inch board the trainer was holding in front of her.

"Good!" the trainer praised her.

"Thanks," Karrin smiled shyly. The trainer was young and handsome His light blue eyes glittered, and his black hair was streaked with orange.

"You are _so_ lucky to be in the games! I wouldn't be surprised if you won!" It was meant to be a compliment, but it wiped the smile right off Karrin's face. She thanked him again without really meaning it.

"Can I break another board?" she asked.

"Wow," Lacy said from behind her. "That's great, Karrin! I'm so proud of you! We should probably try something else, now, though. Hey, Richie? Can we go to a different station?" she called to the District 6 boy, who was sparring with Itzel.

"I'm busy!" he called back, annoyed. That one comment had distracted him and given Itzel an opportunity to pin him down. Richie growled. Itzel let him up and they both began another match.

"Fine," Lacy was just about to call to Kimmie, whom everyone had recognized as the co-leader of the alliance, when Karrin stopped her.

"Don't!" she hissed. Karrin didn't like the fact that Kimmie was partially in control of the group, for Kimmie had made it known as soon as they met how much she disapproved of the "ten-year-old weakling". Karrin couldn't see how Kimmie still thought she was weak; she had broken _six_ boards during the past three days!

Lacy looked at her disapprovingly. "Karrin, I am going to ask her something. I know you don't like her, but I want us to survive this," she said in a hushed voice. "Kimmie!" Kimmie walked over to her. "Can we ask the tributes from District 5 to join us?"

"Absolutely not! It's bad enough that _you_ had to join us!" Kimmie scowled.

"_Please_, Kimmie! They won't last two days without allies!"

"That's the point."

"But..."

"No."

"Kimmie..."

"NO."

What's going on?" Richie asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he walked over to the three girls.

"She wants to let the bumpkins from District 5 join!" Kimmie explained.

"And...? Have you _seen_ the boy practice with that slingshot? And the girl at the camouflage station? They'll be easy to kill off when necessary, but for now, it might be a good idea to ally with them." Richie raised his eyebrows at his sister.

He turned to Lacy. "They can join. You may ask them, if you like."

Kimmie threw her hands into the air and stalked off to the pickaxe station.

Lacy smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

Ed creased his forehead in concentration. Pulling the slingshot back, he released the bullet. The bullet flew though the air and hit the edge of the bulls-eye. The corners of Ed's lips stretched into a wide smile. He pumped his fist into the air. "Yes!"

"Hi," a voice said from behind him. He turned to look at her with hazel eyes, a half-frightened expression on his face.

"It's okay, you can trust me," the girl said, offering him her hand. Ed remembered her name was Lacy. "Do you want to join our alliance?"

He hesitated. "Um, let me ask Greta."

"Okay, take your time." Lacy smiled in a caring way, like a mother smiling at her child.

Ed walked toward his sister, who was at the camouflage station nearby. They talked in hushed voice for a few minutes, then came back to Lacy.

"Okay," Ed told her. "We'll join. Hey, what did the farmer say when he lost his tractor?"

"Um, what?"

"'Where's my tractor!" Ed keeled over laughing.

_That was awful,_ Lacy thought. But his laughter was contagious. She giggled. "Thank you," she said.

When they got back to the group, they found that the others were taking a lunch break. Karrin was talking to Itzel. Lacy walked closer to them, and Ed realized she was trying to overhear them.

"Why doesn't Jezzabelle talk much? And why does she talk funny?" she asked. Lacy groaned inwardly. Karrin was being very straightforward and more than a little rude. Itzel didn't seem to mind, however.

"Well, Jezzy has two conditions. One is called Asperger's syndrome," he answered. Karrin nodded. She had learned about Asperger's in health class. "The other condition is called jargon aphasia. That's why you can't understand her sometimes." Karrin nodded, but she was frowning.

"Okay," she said. "Thank you."

"What's j-jordan apais-apasa?" Greta asked her brother.

"I'm not sure. We could go ask that man," Ed suggested. Greta nodded, and they went to discuss the subject with Itzel.

Lacy sighed. _They're safe_. She couldn't bear the other thought: _For now_.

* * *

Even after three days, the shock of seeing Leo as an Avox had not worn off. The first day Astra and Oriana had seen him, they had spent the rest of the day at the dagger station, though Talia had strayed to the bow-and-arrow station without them.

The next day, Talia had persuaded the twins to go to the camouflage station and the fire-building station, but they had still spent at least two hours with Leo.

"Please, girls. We _need_ to train," Talia begged. Then she added quietly, "And maybe, if you guys win, you could bring Leo home."

Both twins' eyes brightened at the thought. "Okay," Astra consented. She let Talia lead them to the weight station. After an hour of practicing, Talia was able to lift a fifty-pound weight, Astra was able to lift a thirty-pound weight and Oriana could lift a twenty-five-pound weight.

"Okay, I think that's long enough," Astra gasped. "Let's take a quick break and then go over to the climbing station."

The threesome walked slowly to the buffet, taking their seats in a quiet, secluded corner.

"Should we ally with Districts 6, 8, 9, and 10?" Oriana asked quietly. Talia gulped, then shook her head vigorously, making her frizzy red hair fly. Her hooded blue-gray eyes looked apprehensive.

"No," she said nervously. "There are _boys_ in that alliance." Oriana and Astra looked confused for a moment. "I-I- I can't stand being around men." Talia looked down at her lap. "You know my brother? Well..."

Talia hesitantly started the story of how her brothers had been in an all-men gang and how the gang had kidnapped her, Maya and her parents because Talia's parents had trespassed on their territory on a walk. Talia's parents had been murdered and Talia had been brutally beaten. The gang hadn't known that they were Damien's family, but neither Dante nor Damien had informed them.

When she finished the story, Oriana looked at her mashed potatoes, cringing, as though she was recalling a painful memory.

"The s-same thing happened t-to me." Oriana whispered wrapping her arms around herself and squeezing her eyes shut. "I w-was a-almost k-k-killed by a Seam g-gang. I almost d-died." Oriana finished, her tone still barely audible. "They forced Astra to watch," she added, biting her lip. Tears escaped from the corners of her clear blue eyes. Astra hugged her.

"It's okay, Oriana. It's over. Relax," Astra comforted her.

"No, it's not! We're both going to die, and we're going into the games with her brother!" The tears flowed more freely now, and sobs wracked her body.

"Oriana, we can win this." Astra said firmly. She looked at Talia. "Can we split up for an hour or two? We can meet up later, but I want to talk to Ana."

"Okay," Talia replied.

Astra and Oriana walked to the rock climbing station. They took helmets and pads and began to climb the forty-foot model of a small mountain. Astra grunted as she heaved herself onto a small resting area and looked up to find that Oriana was already at the top.

"Oh, wow," Astra whispered. Then she looked down. When she saw how high up she was, her eyes widened. She knew that she couldn't fall; the cable around her wouldn't allow that. It didn't make the distance from the ground to where the black-haired girl was sitting any less terrifying.

Astra began to climb higher, her breaths shaking her entire body. Her arms ached, and her palms were sweating. She was gasping for breath by the time she reached her sister at the top of the mountain model.

"How did you get up here so quickly?" she panted.

Oriana smiled slightly and shrugged. "I don't know," she said simply.

"Well, the Careers won't be able to catch you!" Astra smiled.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Are you still thinking about what Talia said earlier? Relax, what happened at home will never happen again."

"How do you know that?" Oriana whispered. "How do you know that D-damien won't come after both of us because we're Talia's allies?"

"Would you not be friends with somebody just because they poached?"

"No,"

"Then what are you so—"

"Just drop it," Oriana snapped. Astra looked at her, surprised. Her sister never snapped, so what made her do it now? "They raped me," Oriana whispered. "Remember when they knocked you unconscious? They—they—that's what I'm scared of."

Astra could only hug her sister while they cried.

* * *

Genevieve looked at Kai, concerned. He had been paler than usual and looking more scared since they had met those kids from Districts 1 and 2. He also seemed more nervous and was being very inattentive to Genevieve.

"Kai?"

"..."

"Kai?"

"..."

"Kai? Hello? Kai?"

"..."

"Are these poisonous?"

"..."

Genevieve began to eat the berries in her hand. Suddenly, Kai snapped out of his trance.

"Eve, no! Those are poisonous! Spit them out!" he exclaimed, grabbing the remaining berries with one hand and pinching his chestnut-haired sister's nose with the other. She obeyed him and spat the berries out immediately.

"Actually, those berries are perfectly edible." the trainer said.

Kai blushed. "Oh," he said.

"Are you okay, Kai?"

"Yeah, Eve. I'm fine."

Genevieve heard footsteps. She turned to see the boy from 7, Teek, and his ally Aldarion.

"Hey. It's Kai, right?" Teek greeted him. "We were wondering if you wanted to ally with us?" Kai looked up.

Kai didn't really want allies, but he did need people to fight beside him and take watch at night. Besides, he didn't need any more enemies besides the Careers. "Um, would you be allies with my sister?" He asked.

"Sure," Aldarion smiled.

Kai took a deep breath. "Okay."

* * *

Silmarien squinted. She aimed. She let go of the knife. It soared and hit the edge of the bulls-eye. _Good,_ she thought. She took aim again. When she let go, the knife burrowed itself into the exact center of the target. Her lips curled into a smile. She turned to go to the bathroom and noticed the Careers looking at her. They began to make their way over to where she was standing. She thought about running, but decided against it

The girl smiled "Hi. Wanna join the Careers?"

Ever since the first day, this girl had seemed ditzy. Could she not see that Silmarien hated everyone?

"No."

"_What _did you just say to me?"

"NO."

"You little bitch—" The blonde moved to slap the District 3 girl, but Silmarien had spent some time at the hand-to-hand combat station. She grabbed Aphrodite's wrist and twisted it. Aphrodite screamed. The trainers rushed over. They restrained Silmarien and began to take her away.

Aphrodite gazed menacingly at Silmarien. "This isn't over, 3. I will find you. And when I do, I will kill you."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, pretty pointless chapter. But I felt there had to be a Training Day 3, and I was getting bored/lacking material. **

**3: Evaluations**

**2: Interviews**

**1 (BLAST OFF!): Bloodbath!**

**One more thing: I'm going on a five-week vacation in about nine days, so there probably won't be any more updates for about sixish to sevenish weeks. Sorry :(**

**Alliances: Aphrodite/Vic/Tye/Rose/Damien (Careers), Richie/Kimmie/Lacy/Karrin/Rosealie/Vivian/Itzel/Je zzy/Greta/Ed, Oriana/Astra/Talia, Kai/Genevieve/Teek/Aldarion, Silmarien (loner), Rowan (loner).**

**Romances: Aphrodite/Tye**


End file.
